Anatomy and Histiology of a Nnc Earthuorm. 03 



and from South Africa, It is a matter of some interest, there- 

 fore, to find in this part of the world a genus bearing marks of 

 close relation. 



Thus far a single species has been seen. It is rather com- 

 mon in Illinois, generally occurring in soil, although occasion- 

 ally found associated with species of Allolobophora in the com- 

 post heaps of gardeners. It is apparently not at home in the 

 latter situation, and the large examples are almost always 

 taken in damp soil, where they probably breed. It is sometimes 

 common in lawns, and after protracted rains may be secured in 

 considerable numbers along walks, where it has been belated 

 during its nocturnal wanderings. Its burrows extend for some 

 depth into the soil, and, like Lumbricus, it excavates, during 

 droughts, a chamber at the bottom of its burrow, where it re- 

 mains coiled up and perhaps inactive. Beyond this, little is 

 known of its habits. 



With regard to its distribution outside the State nothing 

 positive can be said at present, but the writer is disposed to 

 believe that he has seen this or a similar worm in the Eastern 

 States. Within the State it is generally distributed, and will 

 probably be found to occur in other states in the Mississippi 

 Valley. 



JSfoTES ON" THE Histology. 



In the course of attempts to stain examples of Diplocardia 

 for section cutting, a surprising difference between it and the 

 genus Allolobophora becomes apparent. Allolobophora stains 

 well in Grenacher's borax carmine preparation, the nuclei of all 

 the tissues being brought out with the stain in a very satisfactory 

 way. Diplocardia, on the contrary, does not stain well in this 

 fluid, the result generally obtained with it being a diffuse color, 

 with the nuclei of muscle and connective tissue poorl}-- differ- 

 entiated. The results were not due to any difference in the 

 method of killing or preservation, for specimens of the two 

 genera killed and preserved at the same time and in the same 

 way gave this difference, and proved it to be due to something 

 in the tissues themselves. Just what this something is we are 

 not prepared to state, but the manner in which the tissues 



