30 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. 



valuable information, will shortly appear, and the results of 

 Miss Lambert's work on the nephridia will be published before 

 long ; this work will, it is hoped, enable us to gain a better idea 

 of the relationship of the different forms. So long as only a 

 limited number of species were known the work of classifying 

 appeared to be comparatively simple, but as our collections 

 increase it becomes evident that the present arrangement is 

 only a tentative one. In illustration of this it may be pointed 

 out that even the family Perichaetidae is extremely difficult to 

 adequately define and that further work may render it necessary 

 to combine in one family the genera which are at present referred 

 to Perichaetidae and Cryptodrilidae. 



In regard to the distribution in Australia of the genera, 

 as defined by Beddard, it may be noted that Megascolides and 

 Diporochaeta are distinctly characteristic of Victoria. Crypto- 

 drilus is well represented in New South Wales and Victoria, 

 but poorly in Queensland, and the same applies to Megascolex, 

 while Acanthodrilus and Perichaeta are unrepresented in south- 

 eastern Australia. 



Tpichaeta, gen. nov. 



Perichaetidae with not more than six setae on each side of the 

 segment, arranged in pairs Nephridia plectonephric. Spermi- 

 ducal glands lobate. 



Tpichaeta austpalis, sp. n. (Figs. 1, 2, 3). Spirit specimens 

 3 J inches long, -^ inch broad. Number of segments 140. 



Prostomium completely dovetailed into the peristomium, 

 which is ribbed all round. 



Clitellum not distinguishable (though the specimens are 

 apparently mature). 



A swollen glandular patch in the mid ventral line, half on 

 segment 15 and half on segment 16. 



Setae difficult to see in spirit specimens. Arranged typically 

 in three pairs on each side ; the ventral pair very regular along 

 the whole length ; the two other pairs irregularly arranged, and 

 occasionally, but not often, one of these pairs may be wanting. 

 The setae of each pair always placed close together. 



