110 EARTHWORMS AND THEIR ALLIES [ch. 



as for instance the British Isles, which undoubtedly 

 represent a portion of the European continent which 

 was once quite continuous with Europe. On the other 

 hand we have the Haw^aiian archipelago, St Helena, 

 Fernando Noronha, and other similar islands, which 

 are more remote in their position from continents 

 and concerning which it seems clear that they have 

 originated de novo by the action of submarine 

 volcanos or of the growth of coral, combined with 

 subsidence, following elevation, or from several of 

 the causes combined. In any case the islands which 

 are termed oceanic islands have never formed part 

 of a continent. They are not relics of previously 

 existing continents. It becomes a matter of great 

 interest to compare the earthworms which are to be 

 found upon oceanic islands with those which inhabit 

 continental islands. Fortunately there are a good 

 many facts at our disposal for this purpose ; and we 

 shall compare the earthworms of the Hawaiian 

 archipelago with those which are found upon certain 

 small islands lying to the south of New Zealand, viz. 

 Campbell and Auckland islands and the more 

 southern Macquarie islands. 



The earthworms of the Hawaiian archipelago have 

 been studied by a good many persons, and altogether 

 a number of species have been described from that 

 group of islands of which the following is a list: 

 Pheretima hawayana, P. heterochaeta. P. peregrina, 



