236 FRANK E. BEDDARD. 



though the type genus Eudrilus has uot yet been met with 

 from the African continent.^ 



The Eudrilidie which I obtained from Kew belong apparently 

 to two distinct species, which are also generically distinct. 

 Four specimens I refer to a new genus, for which I propose 

 the name of Hy periodrilus. The fifth specimen is a species 

 of another genus — H e 1 i o d r i 1 u s, nov. gen . The sixth is a very 

 minute worm, measuring barely an inch in length, and being 

 sexually immature was indeterminable. 



I. — Hyperiodrilus africanus, nov. gen., sp. nov. 



The worms are of different sizes ; the largest specimen 

 measures (after preservation in spirit) about five inches; 

 during life the length was rather greater. Their form is very 

 slender, and their movements were active, though they did 

 not show any power of jumping, such as is shown by 

 Perichseta. While moving the buccal cavity is to a certain 

 extent everted, and is made use of as a sucker for attaching 

 the front end of the body ; the eversion of the buccal cavity is 

 not nearly so pronounced as in Perichseta. 



The colour of this species is pinkish, and the posterior 

 segments have a distinctly ringed appearance. There does not 

 seem, however, to be much pigment in the skin ; the colour is 

 entirely due to the enclosed viscera, particularly, of course, 

 to the blood-vessels — even the ringed appearance of the poste- 

 rior segments is due to the same cause ; the blood-vessels 

 ramifying over the septa produce the appearance of bands of 

 red pigment corresponding to the segments : the clitellum is 

 yellowish. 



§ External Characters. 



An examination of the external characters at once shows 

 that this worm is referable to the Eudrilidse, but that it cannot 

 be included in any known genus of that family, with the 

 possible exception of Stuhlmannia. 



' Since the above was written Drs. Horst and Michaelsen have received 

 from Africa specimens of Eudrilus. 



