PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. 327 
11 species occur in the neighbourhood of Capetown and Port 
Elizabeth, and from this area no other earthworms but 
Chilota and Nottodrilus were collected. 
To those who have paid attention to the earthworms, some 
of these generic names will appear strange. The genera 
Maoridrilus, Neodrilus, Notiodrilus, and Octochetus and 
Chilota, have, till recently, been included under one name, 
Acanthodrilus, but this name is now employed only for the 
single species occurring in New Caledonia. These genera, 
with Plagiocheta, Dinodrilus,-Microscolex, and Rhododrilus, 
will be referred to in the sequel as Acanthodrilids, and are 
characteristic of New Zealand, Cape of Good Hope, South 
America, and the Antarctic islands; and it is a remarkable 
fact that the only earthworms hitherto collected on these 
islands belong to one or other of the genera NVotiodrilus and 
Chilota. 
Turning now to the distribution of Microscolex, of which 
we have two species in New Zealand—one from the South 
Island and one from the North Island. 
There are six other well-defined species, and three more 
which Michaelsen considers as only doubtfully distinct. 
Of the six species, three occur in California, anid eise- 
where in North America (/. hempeun, M. troyeri, M. hen- 
hamz); two in South America (@. dubius and M. phor- 
phoreus), both of which have been introduced into far-dis- 
tant lands (including Europe and New Zealand); while, 
finally, one (M@. horsti) came from Hawaii, whither it is 
probable that it was introduced by traffic between Honolulu 
and San Francisco. Of the three doubtful species, one is 
Algerian (iM. algierensis), one is Madeiran (M. poulton), 
one Californian (M. elegans). As the species of Microscolex 
are evidently readily transported, and easily become acclima- 
tised to their new surroundings, it might be thought that 
the two species occurring in New Zealand are aliens. But 
if is closely allied to Rhododrilus, as well as to a character- 
istic South American genus from which it has been recently 
separated—) agansia (Mich.)—of which 12 species out of 
the 13 occur on that continent, and the thirteenth at the 
Cape of Good Hope—Y. kinbergi (Mich.). 
Here then, again, though in a Jess pronounced manner, 
we find a similarity between New Zealand, South Africa, 
and South America; a closer association of New Zealani 
and the West Coast of South America, and, moreover, with 
the northern part of that coast. 
But it is entirely otherwise with Diporocheta, of which we 
possess in the New Zealand area at least two species. The 
