I9I7-] J- Stephenson : Indian Oligochaeta. 383 



it is not sharply marked off. There is a single diverticulum, 

 sessile and wart-like, — in one case hardly noticeable, — on the inner 

 side at the junction of ampulla and duct ; it contains glistening 

 spermatozoa, but is not, apparently, chambered. 



Remarks. — This species also belongs to the group of P aboren- 

 sis (spermathecal apertures in 6/7 and 7/8, simple form of sperma- 

 thecae, and absence of penial setae) ; but its special characters, — 

 small size, lateral position of the male and spermathecal apertures, 

 characters of the spermathecal diverticulum and male field, — render 

 it perhaps the most distinct of the group. 



Perionyx m'tntoshi, Bedd. 



W. 87/1. Nepal Valley, alt. -I.500 — ^6500 ft. ?6-vi-i9i6. Col. |. 

 Manners-Smith. Two specimens, the larger soltened. 



Little is known about this interesting species, though it was 

 one of the earliest of the genus to be described. The first worm 

 to be described by Beddard under this name was represented by a 

 single immature specimen from Akyab in Burma ; this was later 

 considered of doubtful validity by the author himself (3), as also 

 by Michaelsen (10, 13). Our only other source of information is a 

 second short account by Beddard (2) ; Vaillant, in his Hist. nat. des 

 Anneles (1889), which I have not been able to consult, refers to the 

 species, but apparently only from the point of view of classi- 

 fication and without having had any fresh material. It is there- 

 fore worth while to give an account of the specimens which have 

 now come to hand. 



External characters. — Length 230 mm. ; diameter average 10, 

 maximum I2"5 mm. (the softer specimen measured 280 mm. in 

 length, and was of a maximum diameter of 17 mm., but in the con- 

 dition of the worm these figures are not reliable). The colour is a 

 lighter or darker purple dorsally (the two specimens differ), with 

 the clitellum of a buff tint and the ventral surface pale. The seg- 

 ments of the longer worm were 225 in number ; there was no 

 secondary annulation. 



The prostomium is epilobous J; the tongue being open behind 



Dorsal pores are present from furrow 5/6. 



The relatively small setae are in rings which are, often at any 

 rate, closed both dorsally and ventrally ; there are numerous gaps 

 in various places on the dorsal surface, but since complete rings 

 can be found the gaps may be accidental. The setae are closer 

 together on the ventral than on the dorsal surface ; the intersetal 

 spaces are often very irregular. The following numbers were 

 counted : J^jv , 72/ix 76/xii (but there were long gaps in each of 

 these three series), ca. 90/xxiii, and 112 in the middle of the body. 



The clitellum is not sharply delimited ; it extends over ^xiii- 

 xx=7| ; the furrows are still well marked, and setae are present. 



The male area is a midventral depression on segment xix, 

 which in the more mature of the two specimens is rather longer 

 than broad; it takes up the whole of the length of the segment, 



