BY K. J. GODDARD. 477 



Bosisto described the form under the name Hirudo australis, 

 in 1857; Schmarda described a form under the name H. quinque- 

 striata, and this name has been upheld to the present time. 



Grube has recognised these as synonyms, and liis conclusions 

 I oan verify by the examinations I have made of a large number 

 of individuals. Bosisto's name consequently has priority. 



I must here express my indebtedness to Mr. Thomas Steel, 

 for having placed at my disposal a number of specially interest- 

 ing individuals, the privileged examination of which has assisted 

 me much in the study of this form, and the determination of 

 synonyms. 



In 1904, Kershaw mentions the occurrence of a freshwater 

 leech, Limnohdella quitiquesti'iata, at Launching Place, Yarra, 

 Victoria. This is none other than our common freshwater form. 



Blanchard, in 1893, proposed the generic name, Limnohdella, 

 to include certain species known until then as species of Hirudo 

 (and amongst these he mentions //. qicinqiiestriata), and the 

 characters of the genus he lays down in the following diagnosis : 

 " Corpus, oculi, porique genitales dispositi ut in Hirudine. 

 Somitus xxiii.*^^^^ e 5 annulis completis constat, ut in Macrobdella 

 et in Whitmania; a prima vero hoc differt quod glandulae copula- 

 tionis deficiunt, ab altera quod somitus vi.*"^ solummodo e 3 

 annulis constat. Maxillae paucis, longis vero fortibusque denti- 

 bus armat^e." 



Undoubtedly the species under consideration finds its place in 

 the genus Limnohdella, and is then to be known as L. australis. 



Recently Professor Benham described under a new specific 

 title a New Zealand species of Hirudo. This form approaches so 

 closely to Limnohdella australis, from the standpoints of internal 

 and external anatomy, that I am strongly inclined to regard 

 them as one and the same species, the New Zealand form, //. 

 mauiana, representing a well marked variety (as Professor 

 Benham thought might be the case) of Limnohdella australis. 



Becker's diagrams give a much better idea of the general 

 appearance of our species than does that of Schmarda. 



