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NO. 2174. EARTHWORMS OF THE FAMILY LUMBRWIDAE— SMITH. 163 



Note on Tetragonurus Eisen. 



Tetragormrus pupa Eisen, 1874a; 47. 

 Allurus pupa Michaelsen, 1890: 10. 

 Eiseniella tetraedra pupa Michaelsen, 1900a: 474. 



Length, about 2.5 cm. Somites, about 40. Color, sienna-brown 

 anteriorly; light red posteriorly. Prostomium not dividing the peri- 

 stomium. Setae paired. Clitellum on 18-22. Tubercula pubertatis 

 on 19-21. Spermiducal pores on 12. 



In 1874 Eisen briefly described, in substance as above, the external 

 characters of specimens collected by him at Niagara. He referred 

 to their resemblance in appearance and habits to lielodnlus tctraedrus, 

 then known as of the genus Allurus. In his paper there is no refer- 

 ence to their abundance. One of the specimens was presented to 

 the United States National Museum and has afforded an opportunity 

 for a more extended exammation, including a study of the internal 

 anatomy from sagittal sections made from one half of the anterior 

 part of the worm. Some of the more important characters have 

 already been announced in a brief note in Science (1914: 364). The 

 following are the important anatomical characters : 



Somites, 41. Clitellum on 18-22. Tubercula pubertatis on 19-21. 

 Spermiducal pores on 11, between h and c. Oviducal pores on 10, 

 slightly mesad of a. Spermathecal pores in 5/6 and 6/7, and dorsad 

 of d. Evaginations at anterior end of calciferous gland in 6. Crop 

 in 11 and 12. Gizzard in ]3 and a little way into 14. But one pair 

 of hearts, which are in 7. Spermaries and spermiducal funnels in 6 

 and 7. Ovaries and oviducal funnels in 9. Sperm sacs in 7 and 8; 

 none found in 5 and 6. Spermathecae in 6 and 7; adherent to the 

 septa, 5/6 and 6/7. 



There is no satisfactory explanation for the discrepancy in the 

 position of the spemiiducal pores. It may have been due to an error 

 in counting, or possibly there may have been a specimen in which 

 they actually were on 12. 



It is obvious that each of the locations described for these organs 

 is four somites anterior to the position normal in Lumbricidae. We 

 have merely to assume that a specunen of tl. tetraedrus f . hercynia 

 had suffered the loss of the anterior nine somites and regenerated 

 the usual nmnber of five new ones, and the result would be such a 

 worm as we have under discussion. It is the belief of the writer that 

 the specunen originated m some such way. Such an assmnption of 

 course raises the question of the number of specimens collected and 

 the possibility of examinmg others of the same collection. 



In reply to a letter asking for further information. Doctor Eisen 

 makes the following statements : 



Tetragormrus pupa, I found in all, if I remember correctly, three specimens. They 

 all agreed or seemed to agree; and the one you have sectioned should in my opinion, 



