ANNELID GENUS CAMBARINCOLA — HOFFMAN 277 



these species are deposited in the U.S. National Museum, with para- 

 types retained by Dr. Holt. 



In addition to the names in the preceding list, one other must be 

 recognized as a probable member of the genus. This is the species 

 described in 1912 as Branchiohdella americana Pierantoni. The de- 

 scription is not adequate for recognition of the species, and was 

 probably composite in being based on specimens from Texas and from 

 North Carolina. Until Pierantoni's material can be restudied and a 

 lectotype designated, the status of this name remains in doubt, but 

 the chances are good that it is based on specimens of Cambarincola. 



Material Examined 



The following summary of Cambarincola is based upon the exami- 

 nation of about 900 collections of branchiobdellids, some 800 of which 

 contained species of this genus. Over 1100 individual slide mounts 

 have been examined, each with an average of about eight worms per 

 slide. Thus, approximately 9000 specimens of Cambarincola have 

 actuall}^ been examined closely for structural details, and jet another 

 thousand have been handled while sorting preserved material prior 

 to making slides. 



At least 90 percent of all this material is in the private collection of 

 Dr. Perry C. Holt, now housed at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute. 

 In addition, I have been able to examine the portion of the collection 

 of Max M. Ellis which was turned over to the U.S. National Museum. 

 These two sources constitute vu'tually all the specimens of branchi- 

 obdellids now available in North America. 



Of the 22 species now accounted within the limits of the genus, I 

 have been able to examine the types of all but two, as well as the type 

 material of various other species described as Cambarincola but 

 properly referable to other genera. All the existing holotypes are in 

 the National Museum, paratypes of about half of the species are in 

 the Holt collection. 



Methods of Preparation and Study 



Although the structure of the reproductive systems undoubtedly 

 provides the best criteria by whicli species may be defined and their 

 affinities established, it requires far more careful observation and 

 study than has previously been expended in the mere determination 

 of body form and jaw shape; the aspiring student of the Branchiobdel- 

 lidae must be warned that the group is not one that can be compre- 

 hended with a few weeks of attention. The preparation of material 

 for study is not difficult, but observation of the internal characters of 

 even well-mounted specimens is almost always tedious. Probably a 



