146 Mr. H. A. Bnylis on Aspidodiilus, 



were plainly visible, being, as far as I recollect, 2 to 2h mm. 

 in length, flatfish in shape, and moving about on the slimy 

 surface of the worm. 



" The worms, when irritated by touching with a stick, 

 used to squirt out a clear liquid from a number of ])ores, 

 as tar as I recollect, arranged in transverse rings about halt 

 an inch apart. The liquid was squirted to a distance of a 

 couple of inches, and the natives disliked touching [the 

 worms], believing them, I think, to be poisonous." 



Aspidodrilus kelsalU, gen. et sp. n. 



The worms are found at various stages of growth, and are 

 not all alike as regards sexual maturity. 



The largest specimens measure about 5 mm. in length, 

 and have a maximum width of about 1*40 mm. Small 

 individuals, showing no signs as yet of genital organs, 

 measure only 2 mm. in length. 



In shape they are somewhat flattened dorso-ventrally — 

 less so in the anterior half of the body than posteriorly. At 

 first sight it was impossible to avoid the impression that they 

 were some peculiar kind of Trernatode, showing not a little 

 resemblance to forms such as Asjn'dojaster. On further 

 study, however, it soon became clear that they must be 

 referred to the Chsetopoda. 



The anterior half of the body is nearly cylindrical, tapering 

 in front, and shows distinct segmentation. The inter- 

 segmental grooves, however, are only faintly marked on the 

 dorsal surface, and scarcely visible at all on the ventral 

 surface. It was only when a specimen was stained, cleared, 

 and mounted, that positive evidence of segmentation was 

 found, in the shape of delicate septa and segmentally arranged 

 internal organs. 



There is a small prostomium, which forms the dorsal lip of 

 the mouth, as in a typical earthworm, and this is succeeded 

 by ten segments in front of the clitellum. Each of these ten 

 segments bears ventrally, towards either side, a pair of 

 simple, short, pointed chretre, directed backwards, and having 

 their iinier ends embedded in special sacs, with muscles 

 attached to the body-wall. 



Behind the tenth segment there is a distinct band of 

 thickened glandular skin, containing large clear cells, and 

 extending across the dorsal surface and on to the sides of the 

 body. There can be little doubt that this represents a 

 clitellum ; it appears to occupy only one segment. 



