228 Guide to Belfast. 



with once in the British Islands. It was dredged in 1844 by 

 Hyndman, off Castle Chichester, in Belfast Lough. 



Oligochaeta. — This section includes the Earth Worms 

 and their allies, which have been specially studied by 

 the Rev. H. Friend. Since the Royal Irish Academy 

 appointed a committee to prepare reports on the various 

 classes of Irish Vertebrates and Invertebrates, many of the 

 more neglected groups have been investigated by specialists. 

 The Oligochrets were allotted to Mr. Friend, but he has not 

 had an opportunity of devoting his attention to the north- 

 eastern parts of Ireland. 



Hirudinea. — The Leeches have been studied by 

 W. Thompson and Templeton in former years. More 

 recently Scharff has published a revision of the Irish 

 Freshwater Leeches, in which their number is reduced from 

 eleven to eight. ^ 



Piscocola perae, a leech parasitic on some of the fresh- 

 water fishes, is recorded by Templeton from the district. 

 Helobdella sfag/ia/is, Glossiphonia /lekfociita, G. complaiiata, 

 He)?iiclepsis tessellata, and Herpolxiella octoculata have all 

 been taken in Lough Neagh. The Medicinal Leech appears 

 to be absent from Ireland, but the Horse Leech ( ffcpniopis 

 sa/iiTidsi/ga) is common throughout the country. 



R. F. S. 

 BRACHIOPODA. 



The Brachiopocia, whose external coverings are known as 

 " Lamp-shells," are very well lepresented on the north-east 

 coast of Ireland. Of about half a dozen Irish species no 

 less than four have been taken in the district, and are 

 referred to by Mr. Praeger in his paper- on the Marine 

 Shells of the North of Ireland. Terebratiila caput-serpentis 

 and Crania anomala have been taken in deep water at the 

 entratice of Belfast Lough, and Mr. Hyndman secured 

 Argiope cistellida and the rare A. capsula on the Turbot 

 Bank, a little further east than the preceding. 



R. F. S. 



1 R. F. ScHARP'F. — The Irish Freshwater Leeches. Irish Naturalist, 

 vol. vii, 1898. 



2 R. Ll.. PkaIlGEK. — The Marine Shells of the North of Ireland. Proc. 

 Belfast Nat. Field Chib, vol. ii (N.S.), 1887-88. 



