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THE EARTHWORMS Ol-' IRIU.AXD. 



15V RICV. IIIl.Dl'RIC 1-R1]-:X1), 1M..S. 

 (^Continued from pa^^c 90.) 



Group II. Disjuncta. 



As ill the kist group we had only one indigciious si)ccies of worm for 

 examination, so in the present instance. The paucity of species, how- 

 ever, is balanced by the interest and peculiarity of this solitary illustration; 

 and from facts which have come under observation recently, it would 

 appear as though the Irish representative of the group had begun to di- 

 verge from its English and European type. 



Allolotoophora profuga, Rosa.— Tim Rambi.kr. A fine, steel- 

 blue worm, unlike any other British species in colour. The girdle and 

 last half-dozen segments of a yellowish hue, the latter owing to the 

 presence of turbid fluid, such as is secreted in great quantities by the 

 Brandling [A. fixtida, Savigny), and others. When living, it is from five 

 to eight inches in length, averaging six. There is a totariiumber of from 

 120 to 160 segments in the body. The worm is cylindrical, tending to 

 octagonal, owing to the disjuncted arrangement of the setie, which are 

 much wider apart than in the groups previously studied. The tail tapers 

 rapidly to a point, and is conspicuous, by reason of the striking difference 

 in colour existing between it and the rest of the body. The girdle nor- 

 mally occupies segments 30 to 35, along the innermost four of which the 

 band is stretched. Thus, this species closely reseml)les the true Lunihriii, 

 with their six-segment girdle, and four-segment band. There is a ten- 

 dency in this species, however, for the band to project beyoiul the four 

 segments, or run into the two outermost. Well marked and prominent 

 papillcC on segment 15 carry the male pores. A peculiar odour, as of 

 garlic, or some similar vegetable, is given off when the worm is irritated, 

 just as the Brandling raises a recollection of boiled cabbage under similar 

 circumstances. I find this worm is not averse to very poor, clayey, cohl 

 soil. Here it is undoubtedly of great service, and, as it does not come 

 out of its burrow, like the LiiDibrici, it does not possess the flattened tail. 



Mr. Trumbull, of IMalahide, has recently found several specimens of the 

 Rambler, and observes that the girdle and band are shifted forward one 

 segment, beginning on the 29th, instead of the 3otli. As specimens have 

 been submitted to me for examination, I am able to confirm the observa- 

 tion, and prove the identity. 



Group III. lYlucida. 

 The next group of the genus Allolobophora contains a larger number of 

 species than any other. We shall discuss the different species in order, 

 a diagnosis of the group having been already given (p. 42). The worms 

 are not usually addicted to burrowing, or casting up mould, so that these 

 species are, to a large extent, out of the reckoning in such a work as 

 Darwin's "Vegetable Mould and Earthworms." There are close affini- 

 ties with the other groups, the arrangement of the setie linking these 

 species with those already studied, while the habitat, exudation, and shai)e, 

 lead us naturally on to the groups which follow. There is no fixed num- 

 ber of segments composing the girdle, as in Liimbriais, neither do the 

 clitellar papillae {tubcrciila pubcrtatis) follow any definite law. They may 

 occur on contiguous or alternate segments, and be band-like, or papillose. 



A'-' 



