On a new Sporozoon from the vesiculae seminales 

 of Perichaeta. 



By 



Frank E. Beddard, M. A., 



Prosector to the Zoological Society of Loiidou , Lecturer on Biology at Guy's Hospital. 



With Plate XXII. 



The vesiculai seminales of the common earthworm (Lumbrirus) 

 are ahnost, if not quite invariably, fouud to be crowded with 

 Gregarines. The species which inhabit Lumbricus seem to be certainly 

 more thau one. Lankesteü (1) considers that the Gregarines of Lum- 

 bricus may be safely referred to two distinct species {Monocystis magna 

 and M. lumbrici)\ Rüschhaupt however (3) allows no less than five 

 distinct species. The vesiculiB seminales of all the different genera 

 and species of exotic earthworms which I have had the opportunity of 

 examining, were invariably found to contain Gregarines ; I have not hith- 

 erto studied these ditierent forms very carefuUy; but for the most 

 part I have not observed any striking diiferences between those species 

 which occur in Äcanthodrilus, Perichaeta and other genera and those 

 which infest Lumbricus. But this is not the case with a Gregarine 

 which I have recently noted in the vesicuhe seminales of a species 

 of Perichaeta. 



The Perichaeta appears to belong to an undescribed species; 

 I have lately received it with a number of other earthworms from New 

 Zealand, which Mr. W. W. Smith was so good as to collect for me. 



The vesicuke seminales of this worm were crowded with cysts 

 of varyiug dimensious — somc very large — which undoubted- 



Zool. Jahrb. IV. Abth. t, Syst. qQ 



