26 DESCRIPTIONS OF EARTHWORMS. 



Benhamia Stamp/Hi^) n. sp. 



Among the Benhamidae from Liberia I met with a spe- 

 cimen , that not only difiers in its external appearance 

 from the preceding species , but also shows internal cha- 

 racters, for which it seems to me to belong to an other 

 species. 



It belongs to the larger ^en/iamm-species , its length 

 being about 330 mm. The average diameter of the body 

 is about 10 mm., and it tapers only near the caudal end. 

 The number of the segments is no less than 425, so their 

 longitudinal diameter is much smaller than in Benh. lihe- 

 riensis. The colour of the worm is pale violet-brown at 

 the dorsal, yellowish gray at the ventral side. 



The intersegmental grooves and the dorsal pores behind 

 the clitellum are very obvious. The cephalic lobe extends 

 backward with a narrow part over the half of the buccal 

 segment. The setae are ventrally ; the interval between the 

 ventral pairs is a little smaller than that between a ventral 

 and a dorsal pair. The spermathecal pores are situated 

 in the intersegmental grooves VII/VIII and VIII/IX, in a 

 common groove, next to each other. The clitellum is 

 distinct , wrinkled , occupying segments XIII — XXI. At the 

 ventral side of segments XVI — XXI there is an area, having 

 the shape of a reversed lyre ; it is depressed in its anterior 

 half, but appears not glandular in its posterior half. 



There are two pairs ofspermathecae, consisting of a 

 globular sac , with a short excretory duct , bulged out at 

 one side; I suggest that the spermatozoa are stored in 

 this protuberance. 



Each fascicle of penial setae contains two or three of 

 them ; they are about 3 mm. long, transparent, plain, with- 

 out any ornament. Each seta has about the same diameter 

 over its whole length, but suddenly becomes thinner near 



1) Named after Mr. Stampfli, the companion of Mr. Biittikofer in his ex- 

 ploration of Liberia. 



Notes from the Leyden Mluseum, "Vol. XVII. 



