ON MEGASCOLEX CCERULEUS. 51 



Schmarda's species is much more difficult. That Schmarda 

 himself was led away by a mistaken interpretation of Temple- 

 ton^s description has often been pointed out. Templeton 

 wrotCj ^' Each ring is dilated in the middle of its length into a 

 ridge, which carries on it, except in the mesial line of the back, 

 minute conical mammillse, two in number, each surmounted by 

 a minute bristle/^ while Schmarda (13) speaks of " the ridges 

 which in Megascolex were stated to be found only on the 

 dorsal side, continued in our specimens also on to the ventral 

 side." 



It is just possible that the Perichseta leucocycla of 

 Schmarda may be the same worm ; I am unable to identify it 

 with any other species I found in Ceylon. 



As to the best use of Schmarda's generic term Perichseta I 

 shall speak in a subsequent paper. I agree entirely with 

 Rosa (11, a) in his classification of the Perichsetidse as far as 

 it goes, but am convinced that it will be necessary to create 

 several other genera. 



Habitat. 



All my specimens of Megascolex coeruleus came from 

 the neighbourhood of Kandy and Peradeniya and the hills 

 near, that is to say, from an elevation of about 1700 feet. 

 I have no reliable information as to its occurrence at any 

 higher or lower level. I was not fortunate enough to obtain 

 a specimen myself, and so be enabled to note any peculiarities 

 as to its habitat. 



External Characters. 



Colour and Size. — The general appearance, colour, and 

 size may be judged from figs. 1 and 2.^ 



' I am indebted to my wife for coloured external views of all the worms which 

 I have procured in a living state, and shall not give any further description. 

 Probably no two observers would agree in describing the colour of an earth- 

 worm, and an accurate figure of a full-grown living specimen gives a better 

 idea of the size than any measurements. In no case can we rely absolutely 

 upon measurements of length, as the worm is constantly changing its amount 



