ART. 10 EARTHWORM FAUNA OF BURMA GATES 7 



to the "Hills" and three to the "Plains." Even some of the pere- 

 grine species appear to be similarly limited to one or the other of the 

 two major regions of the Province. Four species — 



Megascolex mauriiii 

 Pheretima pegiiana 



Pheretima planata 

 Pontoscolex coreihrurus 



have been collected only in the "Plains," while two other species 

 Pheretima hawayana 1 Pheretima heterochaeta 



have been taken only in the Shan Plateau. 



Other tendencies may be mentioned more briefly. Every new 

 collection brings to light new species, usually belonging to two 

 important genera, Drawida and Eutyplioeus. Even when the collec- 

 tions are made at places only comparatively short distances away 

 from regions already studied, new forms are found. Thus, at places 

 as near to each other as Rangoon and Bassein or Mandalay and 

 Meiktila distinctly different species of Eutyplioeus occur. It hardly 

 seems possible to move 200 miles in any direction from any locality 

 without entering regions containing at least several new species. In 

 contrast to this multiplicity of species only three significant genera 

 have been added to the local fauna in the last 17 years and all three 

 belong to families previously known to occur in the Province. 



EXTRA PROVINCIAL DISTRIBUTION 



Two subfamilies, the Glossoscolecinae and the Microchaetinae, and 

 four genera — 



Pontodrilus I Pontoscolex 



Megascolex \ Glyphidrilus 



are represented in the Burmese region only by peregrine species. 

 Two subfamilies, the Moniligastrinae and the Megascolecinae, and 

 three genera — 



Drawida I Perionyx 



Pheretima \ 



are represented in the local fauna by both endemic and peregrine 

 species. The remaining family, the Octochaetinae, and seven 

 genera — 



Desmogaster Octochaetus 



Eupolygaster Eutyphoeus 



Woodwardia Ramiella 

 Noloscolex 



are represented in this Province only by endemic species. None of 

 the indigenous forms belong to genera restricted to this Province. 

 Burma is thus related zoogeographically to certain other regions, as 

 follows: Desmogaster and Eupolygaster have been found in Sumatra 

 and Borneo; Dravnda occurs in South India and Ceylon, the eastern 

 27799—29 2 



