330 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION D. 
Australian Earthworms. 
Before considering in detail the outcome of these facts, 
I will pass across the Tasman Sea to Australia, and 
deal with the earthworms of that continent. Here 
we may note that the worms have been gathered almost 
entirely from the coastal region of New South Wales and 
Victoria; and it may be that an examination of those of 
Western Australia—the Autochthonian region of Tate—will 
present some interesting differences. 
On the mainland of the Australian Commonwealth 136 
well-defined species have been recorded, thanks to the 
labours of Mr. Fletcher and Professor Baldwin Spencer, in 
addition to some three or four others of less certain validity. 
These 136 species fall into 15 genera, as follows :— 
= | 3 | 2 | 2 a Ven 
uh [he tal te ae 
[\Fizl/@e@l(dolale late 
Le Pantellus: 9otescsccnse eae Perr. | 23 Gisltere 7 39: 
A AU INOPNTUR yn iser eens Sper. Le iseces ears Sc 1 
3. Fletcherodrilus......... Mchisn| ... Ices oes 1 
A aDrichceta) a ocsceceekescee Sper. Dt we fitees Rema IG Be 
5. Diplotrema ............ Sper. 1 aie 
6. Megascolides ......... Me C. 3 1 age Shc ata 
7. LYIMEPHTUS | -Jasne- 624% Bedd. | J 3 3 7 
8. Notoscolex ........ cage LI 4-5" 9 Deere cal eesiy' | Sv ecist ha eat en 
OP WDipastencacc tec ce Pepe | ako VES ORES RRL, on ae 
10. Perissogaster............ Fi. Dy (- tol Lect) 2g» oy cae eS 
11. Didymogaster ......... Fil. spe 1 | P56 |inee lis 1 
12. Diprochewta) -.... .scs. Bedd. | 24... | 4 josie | o| 38 
13. Megascolex ............ Tmpin. 17 18 3 ere ie tes a 1| 36 
14, Pheretimarc. aes. ce Kinds Waa, ess. eel / a : 1 
1b Notiodrilus) esse eetee Mchisn| ... 2 1 1 4 
Se ff ens) 
74 39 | *:19 1 2) 1 | 20 |_156 
\ | 
The majority of these genera fall into a group, which used 
to be regarded as a family or sub-family (Cryptodrilint), and 
for convenience of reference I will speak of the members of 
the first twelve genera as “ Cryptodrilids.”” The next two 
genera are “ Perichetine”’ in character, while the last is 
‘‘ Acanthrodriline.”’ ’ 
Of these 15 genera, the first 13 are characteristically Au 
tralian, though, as we have seen, Diporocheta occurs in New 
Zealand ; while the Perichctine and Acanthodriline genera 
