540 NOTES ON AUSTEALIAN EARTHWORMS, 



originally part of it, there flourish apparently three anteclitellian 

 worms, of which one is without doubt the European L. olidus 

 introduced, a second is the worm alluded to above as being in all 

 probability L. Novce-Hollandice, from which the third differs in 

 colour, and in the number of segments comprised by the clitellum, 

 but seemingly not in other important points. I do not know at 

 present what this last worm really is, but as its habitat is so 

 restricted it may be left out of account for the present. 



Large specimens of the worm which, 'from its abundance 

 and wide distribution, it seems reasonable to suppose is 

 L. Novce-Hollandice, from Sydney gardens consist of from 130 

 to 150 segments, and are from about 115 to 145 mm. long when 

 moderately contracted. Such worms are larger than any I have 

 seen from any other locality. Colour varying from slate to 

 light or dark brown above, usually darkest in^front of clitellum 

 whitish below. Young specimens are redder and bleach white 

 in spirits, whereas the larger ones retain their colour. Body 

 cylindrical, flattened ventrally, tapering anteriorly, flattened poste- 

 riorly. Prostomium pear-shaped, with a median longitudinal 

 groove inferiorly, embedded in the buccal segment for less than 

 half the width of the latter. After about the fifth, the segments 

 are tri-annulate. 



Clitellum well-developed, comprising at least eight segments, 

 from xxvn to xxxiv, but sometimes involving also portions of 

 xxvi and xxxv ; incomplete on the ventral surface of segments 

 xxvn to xxix, but more or less complete on the remaining portion, 

 the outlines of the segments being usually quite obscured. Imma- 

 ture worms may be found with a rudimentary clitellum, com- 

 mencing as ventral and infero-lateral thickenings of segments xxx 

 to xxxiv, there being also two isolated thickened masses on segments 

 xxxi and xxxm just dorsad of the main thickening on each side. 

 Later stages shew a complete clitellum for segments xxx to xxxiv, 

 and finally in sexually mature worms all but the ventral surface 

 of the three or three and a-half preceding segments is added. 



Male pores slit-like, on segment xv, in the middle of the segment 

 and between the second and third rows of setae on each side ; in 



