new Earthworms in the British Museum, 281 



Pontodrilus ephippiger, sp. n. (PI. IX. figs. 4, 5.) 



Hah. Christmas Island (east coast). Coll. by C. W. 

 Andrews, Esq. 



The length of our specimens ranges from 43-47 millim., 

 with a diameter of 3 millim.; the number of segments varies 

 from 85 to 100 ; the colour (in spirit) is an intense yellow. 



The prostomium is short, only slightly dovetailed in the 

 peristomium, which is longer than the second segment. 



The setae are distant : behind the clitellum the ventral 

 interval aa is twice that between setae ah ; the lateral intervals 

 between seta3 ah, be, cd are about equal, though slightly 

 increasing from below upwards; the dorsal middle space dd 

 is about three times as wide as cd. These distances vary 

 slightly in front of the clitellum ; for instance, at the height of 

 the spermathecae the setae he are slightly wider apart than 

 setae ah or cd, so that the setae are here paired, though, of 

 eourse, not very close together. 



The clitellum extends over segments 13-17 = 5; it may 

 be termed saddle-shaped, ceasing near the outer ventral 

 seta (b) : this clitellum is well developed dorsally, where its 

 rings are completely fused together, while on the ventral area 

 the setae as well as the intersegmental furrows are tolerably 

 visible. 



There is a deep transverse fossa on segment 18 ; the 

 transverse margins of this fossa show a slight inward con- 

 vexity, but are not specially swollen, whereas the longitudinal 

 margins, which overhang the fossa, are in fact the ventral 

 end of a pair of large glandular swellings which are also 

 visible from the dorsal side, where they gradually disappear 

 near the outermost setae (d). The whole has much the 

 appearance figured by Akira Jizuka for P. matsushimensis. 

 The male openings are difficult to see lying in the fovea at 

 the base of the overhanging walls, approximately in a line 

 with the outer ventral seta {!>). 



A deep slit-like sucker, with pale somewhat raised mar- 

 gins, lies ventraliy on the intersegmental furrow between 

 segments ID and 20, reaching laterally the line of the inner- 

 most ventral setae. 



The ovidueal openings are two minute pores on the anterior 

 part of segment 14, almost in a line (though a little ventrad) 

 with the innermost ventral setae (a). 



The spermathecal pores are on small projecting tubercles 

 between segments 7-8 and 8-9, on a line with the outer 

 ventral setae (/>). 



There are no dorsal pores. The nephridiopores lie at the 



