CALIFORNIA EUDRILID.E. 25 



one in xii. Prostate i« at the top helix-like folded. Peuial papilUe prominent, with 

 two or more penial setje in each sac. 



The worm is very pale, glassjs semi-transparent with reddish-orange clitelhim, 

 and with the dorsal vessel showing prominently throngh the l)ody-wall. It is very deli- 

 cate, snecnmbs readily to heat and can only with diflienlty be kept alive. It is the 

 largest of the s])ecies l)elonging to this genus as far as known. 



Ilabitdt. DeUanin ekfjain^ is so far only found around 8au Francisco, Califor- 

 nia, and at Santa Rosa and Mount Diablo, especially under decaying manure in natural 

 hollows in the Golden (iate Park. It is common immediately north of Strawberry 

 Hill in the sandy hollow where rain water collects and keeps the soil sufficiently moist. 

 The worm is not found in the water, but at the water's edge, the water, however, being- 

 only temporary during the rainy season. A few specimens also found in Berkeley 

 along the creek. In the locality in Golden Gate Park the worms congregate in large 

 masses, always in the sandy soil. At Santa Rosa and Mount Diablo I found only few 

 specimens, the season being at my visit in ]May far advanced and the soil was drying 

 fast; Mature in April and May. 



DETAILED DESfUirTION. 



EMerior cluiriideriMlcx. The worm varies consideralily in size, but averages 

 alioiit three inches in length, by a witlth of from two to three lines, tapering consid- 

 erably towards the tail, 'i'hc coldr is pale flesh, with a bluish cast, and quite trans- 

 parent, glassy, with a yellowisli clitellum. Altogetlier, the exterior appearance of the 

 worm is one of great delicacy, greatly heightene<l by its semi-transparency. 



The cephalic i)rost(miiiim is prominent, and divides the i)eristomium about J 

 of its width (fig. 3). lliis, the first somite, is wider than an}' of the following. 

 Somites ii and iii are next in size, and al)out equal in width. Somites iv to xi are 

 smaller, about equal in width, slightly decreasing backward. Somites xii and xiii are 

 smaller than any of the other anterior .somites, and of about the same respective width 

 (fig. 2). No dorsal pores. 



The clitellum (figs. 2 and 15) commences with somite xiv, though xiii is gen- 

 erally somewhat thickened. The clitellial somites xiv, xv and xvi are very wide, 

 about as wide as somites ii and iii, and of the same size. Somite xvii is much smaller. 

 This somite carries the male pores and papilhe (fig. 1-3). These are situated in the 

 posterior part of the somite, almost on the edge of the intersegmental groove (fig. 15). 

 The papillae are slightly raised around the opening of the sac in the penial setse. The 

 papilUe are situate close together very near the median line of the body, a short dis- 

 tance only from the ventral ganglion. The papilla is oblong, sigmoid, with a pore 

 for the setfe at inner end. Between it and the intersegmental groove is seen the slit 

 in which open the prostate and the spermduct. It is situatetl slightly to the outside 

 of the 2)enial jjapilla (fig. 14). 



The oviducal pores are in the anterior part of xiv, generally in a depression 

 anterior to and more ventrally located than the inner couple of .seta;. Spermathecal 

 pores are variable, not })erce])tible. The nephridio-pores are in front of the third sette, 



