PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. 331 
are also known outside the Australian area. Indeed, Phere- 
tima is a late invader of the Commonwealth, while Notto- 
drilus, as will be seen, is an Antarctic form. 
Turning to Tasmania, and the islands of Bass Strait, we 
find 20 recorded species, which fall into the five genera— 
Plutcllus, Trinephrus, Notoscolex, Diporocheta, and Megas- 
coler. We have. in fact, as in the caze of other groups of 
animals, a typically Australian fauna. There are no genera 
peculiar to the island, though all the species are endemic, 
and belong to the largest and commonest genera of the main- 
land. 
This confirms Spencer’s view, that “ Tasmania has had no 
direct land-connection with Australia during or since the 
Pliocene period.” 
There are thus 156 species of earthworms in the Common- 
wealth, and the mere entimeration of the genera found in 
New Zealand on the one hand, and in Australia on the 
other, shows the great contrast between these two adjacent 
faunal areas; for we find in New Zealand only one genus 
(with two species) which is typically Australian; and in 
Australia only one. genus (with four species) which, while 
not being confined to New Zealand, belongs to a sub-family 
which is characteristic of that area. In fact, I may quote 
the words of Mr. Hedley, who, in comparing the operculated 
land-snails of Queensland and New Zealand, says, ‘“‘ Than 
which two faunas could hardly be more distinct.”’ 
An analysis of these Australian worms shows that, of the 
15 genera, nine are endemic and peculiar to this region. but 
account for only 25 species out of the total of 156. Of the 
remaining six genera, one species belongs to the Oriental 
genus Pheretima, four species (already referred to) belong 
to the Antarctic genus Votiodrilus, while the majority (more 
than 80 per cent.) of Australian species, viz., 126, are con- 
tained in the four remaining genera, one of which (Diporo- 
cheta), accounting for 33 species, is endemic, and is practic- 
ally confined to this area; having only two species outside 
it-in New Zealand. The remaining three genera, viz., Plu- 
tellus (with 39 species), Notoscolez (with 18), and Megas- 
coler (with 36 species), are represented outside this faunal 
area. 
Of Megascolex, as many as 17 species have been recorded 
from Ceylon, two species occur in the Indian peninsula, and 
one species—M. mauritu (Kinb.)—isvery widespread, as has 
already been stated. Finally, a doubtfully-distinct species 
has been obtained from the Marquesas (M. albidus), which, 
