161 



other species. They stand thus and the list may be taken as a 

 basis for further Cornish records: 



Lumbricus terrestris i 



castaneus 3 



ntbellus 4 



Allolobophora longa 4 



caliginosa 4 



Dendrobaena subrubicunda 4 



Aporrectodea chlorotica 5 



Odolasion studio sum 40 



Elisenia rosea ' 40 



veneta 60 



fcetida 100 



HILDERIC FRIEND. Ooze and Irrigation. Nature, Vol. 84, 

 July 14, 1910, p. 39; July 21, 1910, p. 70. 



The ooze of the English rivers is often just as fertile as that 

 of the Nile, and the number of annelids found in the ooze is 

 enormous... Mr. Shrubsole, the Author, and others have frequently 

 examined the ooze from various parts of the Thames, and the 

 number of different species of mud-frequenting worms is very great. 



" It would be of great value to science if some one would carefully 

 examine the ooze before and after passing through the bodies of 

 annelids, and ascertain what is the nature of the change that has 

 taken place. Is there any difference between the quantity of ni- 

 trogen in pure mud and that which has been digested?" 



These problems, having a vital bearing on agriculture, need 

 attention. 



It has been assumed that British Annelids were limited to a few 

 species of earth-worms and a few aquatic forms lumped together 

 as Tubifex. But this is a far from being the case. There are at 

 least four distinct forms of indigenous worms, important amongst 

 which are the ooze formers, which are exceedingly numerous and 

 occur in almost all lakes, ponds, streams, ditches and pools, doing 

 an immense work as scavengers and mould makers. Besides these 

 there are the white worms or Enchytraeid, which appear when de- 

 caying vegetable matter is in a state of fermentation and appa- 

 rently clear off the fermenting matter. The study of these An- 

 nelids opens a wide field of observation of interest to the geologist, 

 and of supreme importance to the biologist and the student of 

 agriculture. 



ii 



