no IJKnisH ANNELIDS. 



this genus in order, beginning with those which have the closest 

 atKinities with the old mother-genus. This is the more desiralle, 

 because up till the present time more than one of these lumbricoid 

 species have been confused with the true earthworm, resulting in 

 the greatest possible chaos in worm nomenclature. There are, in 

 the European fauna, something like a dozen species of Allolobophora, 

 which fall more or less naturally into our first section, which I term 

 Lumbricoidea, on account of their resemblance to Lumbricus. In 

 this country, however, the species have been so neglected that I 

 doubt whether more than three or four have ever been identified ; 

 though I believe we shall discover two or three more when the work 

 has been more thoroughly and systematically prosecuted. 



Allolobophora: §i, Lumbricoidea. 



The type of this section is the Long Worm (^Allolobophora longa, 

 Ude). Although the species is even more ubiquitous than the common 

 earthworm, and has been known to the angler for ages past as the 

 black-head, this worm was only recognised as a distinct species six years 

 ago, when Ude described it in the " Zeitschrift fiir Wissenschaftliche 

 Zoologie" (1886, vol. xliii., p. 136), from specimens found in rich 

 garden soil at Gottingen. I believe it had not been recognised in . 

 England until two years ago, when I found it near Carlisle, although 

 Mr. Beddard tells me he has generally employed it as the type for 

 class work in his biological lectures ! I now find it in every part of 

 the country. A very fine consignment reached me some time ago 

 from Mr. Allen, of Canning Town, who says that having heard that 

 worms as long as young snakes were to be found on enclosed ground 

 adjoining Canning Town Pumping Station, he made application to 

 the resident engineer for permission to visit the spot. That gentle- 

 man generously placed a man at Mr. Allen's disposal with spade 

 and other requisites, and thus enabled him to send ma a very 

 typical supply of materials. One portion of the ground, which is 

 always damp, swarmed with this species, to the exclusion of all 

 others — even the typical earthworm. I have received it from the 

 borders of Epping Forest and elsewhere, and shall hope to give 

 details of distribution in a special paper after the various species 

 have been described. 



The Long Worm is rightly so named. It is usually about six 

 inches in length, but varies a great deal both in size and colour, and 



