British Enchytrmids. By Rev, H. Friend. 257 



Varying in length from 2-3 mm. to an inch. Only in one or two 

 instances (as Fridericia magna Friend) is this length exceeded. 

 The followinof scheme will enable the student of our indiojenous 

 species to iind his way through the labyrinth of Enchytr?eid 

 genera, as set forth in the text-books up till the present time. 



Beddard remarks that " the family is a very natural one ; 

 there appear to be no forms transitional between the group and 

 other Oligochffita. This is satisfactory to the systematist, but it 

 renders the labours of the naturalist who desires to study the inter- 

 relationships of the different groups of Oligochseta extremely 

 difficult." We have now to show that the family is not entirely 

 isolated, since the newly discovered form breaks away from the 

 family traditions, and enables us to see the possibility of new 

 relationships. • 



III. — A New Enchytr^id. 



On Saturday, November 23, 1912, I took an expedition to an 

 old hunting ground in Derbyshire, where I first found Rhyacodrilus 

 fahiformis Bretscher, and other rare Annelids. Here, along with 

 Fridericia michselseni Br., and an Enchytraeus of much interest, I 

 found a species of Enchytraeid which proved not only to be new to 

 Britain, but to depart in many ways from the type. The first 

 two specimens which came under observation were immature. They 

 at once arrested attention by the presence of four, if not five, pairs 

 of septal glands. The usual number is three, and whenever more 

 than three pairs are present, the interest is aroused. By degrees 

 other peculiarities presented themselves, and it became apparent 

 that the species differed from all those with which I had previously 

 become familiar. The third specimen examined was adult, and 



