6 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 75 



earthworms. Very little is known about the worms of regions lying 

 outside of this triangle. Only one endemic form is known from the 

 district south of Moulmein, one from that portion of the central 

 region north of Mandalay, and one from the Akyab district on the 

 western border of the Province, while all records of occurrence in 

 the "Hills" are of four localities, not widely separated, in the Shan 

 Plateau (mideastern section of the Peripheral Hill region). Prac- 

 tically all of the hill country to the west, north, and far south, the 

 two coastal strips, as well as the middle and northern portions of 

 the central basin region are yet to be investigated. Within the 

 triangle there are many important areas which have not yet been 

 studied, and only the district immediately around the town of Ran- 

 goon can be considered adequately explored. 



Furthermore a considerable proportion of the earthworm fauna 

 of any locality can be obtained only during the rainy season (Gates, 

 1926c). Most collecting has been done hitherto, except in Rangoon 

 and the immediate vicinity, only toward the end of the rainy season 

 or in the dry season months. It is therefore at least possible, if not 

 probable, that numerous species are yet to be found, even in those 

 localities where extensive collections have already been made. 



In view of these circumstances it is not feasible at the present 

 moment to attempt an extensive discussion of the distribution of 

 the local forms. It may be of interest, however, to point out briefly, 

 certain "tendencies" in the accumulating knowledge of the earth- 

 worms of the Province. 



Most important of these tendencies is the apparent restriction of 

 worms to one or the other of the two major regions. (The peregrine 

 species are marked with an asterisk in the list on p. 5.) The endemic 

 species belong to 10 genera, 6 of which (with 8 species) — 



Desmogasfer I Notoscolex 



Eupolygaster Perionyx 



Woodwardia I Ramiella 



have been collected only in the Peripheral Hill region. Two genera 

 (with 12 species) — 



Octochaetus I Eutyphoeus 



have been found only in the plains of the central basin region. 

 Although the two remaining genera have been taken in both the 

 "Hills" and "Plains," only three forms — 



Drawida longatria 

 Pherelima anomala 



Pheretima insolita 



have been found in both regions, whereas eight species of Drawida 

 appear to be confined to the "Plains" and two to the "Hills." 

 Similarly four of the nine endemic Pheretima seem to be restricted 



