324 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION D. 
agency, when these places are separated by sea; and this _ 
becomes still more probable when there is evidence of com- 
mercial intercourse between its home and this foreign out- 
post. Naturally, this explanation is not necessarily always 
the right one, or the only one possible. Later, I shall have 
to refer to a worm found in Central Australia, which belongs 
to a genus characteristically Neo-Zealanian, and scarcely 
represented in Australia; but there is no probability of its 
having been accidentally imported to Australia by man. 
New Zealand Earthworms. 
After these introductory remarks, let me turn to a con- 
sideration of the earthworm fauna of Australasia. It would, 
. perhaps, be polite to our hosts if I were to deal with Tas- 
mania first; but. for reasons that will become apparent later, 
I will commence with New Zealand. 
The earthworm fauna of the New Zealand area, including 
those outlying islands usually associated with New Zealand 
itself, viz., the Chathams, Norfolk Island, New Caledonia, 
The Snares, Campbell Island, Auckland Islands, and the 
Macquarie Islands, is as compact and as characteristic as 
any other part of the fauna. 
Taking the mainland first, 2.¢., the North and South 
Islands, there have been described only 23 species, belonging 
to nine genera (exclusive, of course, of undoubtedly intro- 
duced species). This is a comparatively small list, and is, 
practically, confined to one small district, in the province of 
Canterbury. where Mr. W. W. Smith has been so active in 
obtaining material. But I have several species, as yet un- 
described, from various other parts of the South Island. 
Very few earthworms have been described from the North 
Island. 
Of the nine genera, the following six are absolutely con- 
fined to the New Zealand area, viz.:—AMaoridrilus (with 
seven species), Vcodrilus, Plagiochata, Dinodrilus, Octoche- 
tus, and Rhododrilus. The remaining genera, viz., Votto- 
drilus, Microscolex, and Diporucheta, are represented in 
other parts of the world. To them I will return. 
Of the fauna of the outlying islands we have very scanty 
information. 
From Tha Snares, due south, I have received a species of 
Notiodrilus—N. haplocystis (Benh.). 
The Chatham, Islands have yielded, in addition to - 
European aliens. Diporocheta chathamensis (Benh.), from 
a flax swamp, and Rhododrilus huttoni (Benh.) from the 
bush, together with a peculiar species of Pontodrilus (P:’ 
