CHINESE EARTHWORMS — GATES 455 



PHERETIMA OMEIMONTIS Chen 



1931. Pherctiina (Ph.) parmjldndularls var. omcimontis Chen, Coiitr. Biol. 



Lab. Sci. Soc. China, zool. ser., vol. 7, p. l^^^^ (type locality: Mount 



Omei, Szechwan; types in the Museum of the Science Society of 



China). 

 1935. Pheretima omcimovtis Gates, Smithsonian Misc. Coll., vol. 93, no. 3, 



p. 12. 



Material examined. — From Dr. Graham: 1 clitellate specimen 

 labeled "Suifu, September 1924." 



External characteidstics. — Length, 91 mm. Greatest diameter, 4 

 mm. The setae begin on ii, on which segment there is a complete 

 circle. The setae are small, fairly closely crowded and regularly 

 spaced. Setal formula: viii/23, xvii/17, xviii/12, xix/16. 



The first dorsal pore is on 12/13. 



The clitellum is annular, extending from 13/14 to 16/17; inter- 

 segmental furrows, .dorsal pores, and setae lacking. 



The spermathecal pores are minute, two pairs on 7/8-8/9, on tiny 

 tubercles. 



The male pores are minute, each pore at the center of a tiny tubercle, 

 which in turn is at the center of a clearly marked, transversely oval 

 area. After the prostatic duct was carefully pulled out from the 

 parietes, the tubercle was removed, with a round aperture left at the 

 center of the oval area. 



The genital markings are small, circular, grayish, pore-bearing 

 disks, on segments xi and xviii. The preclitellar markings are 

 restricted to the anterior portion of the segment, arranged into a 

 rectangular patch that is about 12 intersetal intervals wide trans- 

 versely and that reaches from the setae to 10/11. There are 42 

 markings on the patch, in four transverse lines of about 10 each, 

 though the lines are not exactly regular. Four or five disks form a 

 semicircle at the median, anterior, and posterior margins of each oval, 

 male pore area. Just anterior and slightly median to each semi- 

 circular row of disks there is a patch of four markings, probably on 

 the anterior margin of xviii (17/18 not visible ventrally). 



Internal anatomy. — Septa 5/6-7/8 are present, 6/7-7/8 slightly 

 thickened; 8/9-9/10 absent; 10/11 and a few succeeding septa 

 slightly thickened. 



The intestine begins in xv. The intestinal caeca are compound, 

 glove-shaped, with 4-7 secondary, anteriorly directed, fingerlike 

 caeca ; the dorsalmost secondary caecum the longest ; the length of the 

 caeca decreasing passing ventrally. 



The last pair of hearts is in xiii. 



The testis sacs of x and xi are ventral and unpaired. The 

 seminal vesicles are fairly large, in contact transversely over the 

 dorsal blood vessel. Tlie prostiites extend through segments xvii or 



