542 FRANK E. BEDDAED. 



III. External Characters. 



The ■worms were brought over in a large wooden _box nearly- 

 filled with a sandy loam ; they preferred the bottom of the 

 box, and were in nearly every case found in close contact with 

 the wood ; this may be perhaps owing to the greater warmth. 

 The worms were very inactive in their movements ; but this is 

 possibly not so much a characteristic of the species as due to 

 the coldness of the weather. Nevertheless I have not found that 

 tropical Perichseta, which are the most agile of earthworms, 

 are in any way influenced by such causes. 



The colour of the species is a dull purplish brown with a 

 distinct pinkish tinge; the clitellum is only to be distinguished 

 by its darker colour. The colouring substance was largely 

 dissolved out by alcohol staining the fluid of a greenish yellow. 

 There remained, however, after treatment with alcohol, a dark 

 coloration on the dorsal surface. 



The worms, when placed in spirit, protruded the buccal 

 cavity, which appeared of a bright red colour ; they do not 

 protrude it in locomotion, as Perichseta does. 



Prostomium. — The prostomium is short, and not continued 

 by a groove on to the buccal segment. 



Setse. — The setai are strictly paired, and lie upon the ventral 

 surface of the animal. There is nothing unusual in their 

 form. The ventral setse of Segment 17 are absent, as shown 

 in the illustration (fig. 2) . The lateral and ventral setae of each 

 side of the body are connected by a muscular slip shown in 

 fig. 19, iW. 



Dorsal pores appear to be, as in other Eudrilids, entirely 

 absent. 



Nephridiopores, usually conspicuous enough in this 

 family, could not be detected in the present species (see, how- 

 ever, p. 556) even with a lens. 



The clitellum is continuously developed all round the 

 body : in most specimens it occupied only two segments, viz 

 Nos. 15 and 16 ; in some, however, it extended over the 14th 



