1921.] J. Stephenson: Indian Oligochaela. 751 



and figure in 12). Others are shorter still, — about 30 segments, — 

 with a short stumpy conical " tail," evidently about to regenerate 

 a hinder end. One 01 two fragments have not j^et begun to 

 regenerate, but these may possibly be simply the result of injury 

 at the time of capture. 



var. barkudensis, nov. 



(PI. XXVIII, fig. I.) 



Pond, Barkuda Island, Chilka Lake, Ganjam Dist., Madras Pres. Aug. 

 19 (no year). F. H. Gravely. Three specimens, all disintegrating. 



The condition of the worms was quite useless for any study 

 of the anatomy. The discrimination of the species of the Naididae 

 however is based largely on setal characters ; and since these 

 were still discernible in the specimens, — and indeed more easily 

 than in better preserved material, — it seems justifiable to offer the 

 following description. 



One specimen is a fragment 2 mm. long, incomplete at both 

 ends; the other two are incomplete behind, and about 4mm. long. 

 The original length of the worm may thus be about 5 mm. 



The anterior end, comprising the first six segments, is rather 

 bulbous. There seem to have been no eyes ; the pigment of the 

 eyes is usually fairly resistant, and would have been visible if 

 eyes had existed. As far as can be seen, there is no stomachal 

 dilatation on the alimentary tube. 



In one specimen there are 33 fully developed segments, 

 followed by 21 very short and recently produced segments, after 

 which the hinder end is broken off. In the other there are 31 

 segments, after which two short ones follow; these are apparently 

 the beginning of a posterior series of rapidly produced segments, 

 the rest of which are wanting. 



The vential setae of segments ii-v differ from those of the 

 remainder of the body. In this anterior group of segments thej^ 

 are four per bundle, 100/' in length and 3/t in thickness ; the nodulus 

 is proximal to the middle of the shaft (proximal portion : distal 

 IDortion : : 4 : 5); of the two terminal prongs, the distal is nearly 

 twice as long as the proximal, and about equal to it in thickness 

 at the base, or perhaps slightly thinner. In the rest of the body 

 the ventral setae are 4-5 per bundle, their length 90^* and thickness 

 3^' ; the nodulus is distal to the middle of the shaft (proximal 

 portion : distal portion : : 5 : 3 or almost 2 : i) ; the prongs are 

 equal in length, and the proximal is one and a half times as thick 

 as the distal. 



The dorsal setae begin in segment vi, and each birndle consists 

 of two or three hairs and two or three needles, — perhaps most 

 often of two of each. The hairs are about '25 mm. long, rather 

 less than the diameter of the bod}-. The needles, about 94/' in 

 length, have a slight sabre-like curve ; the nodulus is one-third the 

 length of the shaft from the distal end ; the tip is bifid, the 

 prongs being visible to the ordinary high power, set at an acute 



