462 OLIGOCHAETA 



along the muscular tube of the latter ; penial setae present. Testes in X, XI. Hal. 



Argentina ; Australia (?). 



This appears to be a very common worm in the Argentine ; a large collection 

 of earthworms, which I received from the neighbourhood of Monte Video through the 

 kindness of Mr. Chamberlain, consisted almost entirely of this species. So did the 

 bulk of the specimens collected near Buenos Ayres by Dr. MICHAELSEN. It is unin- 

 telligible why FLETCHEE should have at first referred it to the genus Eudrilus, for 

 he correctly states the many and important points in which it differs from that genus. 



(3) Microscolex algeriensis, BEDDARD. 

 M. algeriensis, BEDDARD, P. Z. S., 1892, p. 29. 



Definition. Length, 30 mm. ; number of segments, about 90. Setae in eight rows. Nephridia 



commence in segment II. Gizzard absent. Spermathecae one pair, with a small diverti- 



culum. Sperm-duds unite and traverse a part of the thickness of body wall before joining 



duct of spermiducal gland. No penial setae. Testes in X, XI. Halt. Algeria. 



This is the only species of the genus which is without penial setae. On the 



seventeenth segment the ventral setae are quite normal, the male pore lying on each 



side just to the outside of the ventralmost setae. The absence of penial setae is, of 



course, a point of resemblance to the closely-allied Pontodrilus, which is not shared 



by the other species of the genus. The brain lies in the second segment, whereas in 



the species next to be described it is in the more usual position, viz. in segment iii. 



(4) Microscolex poultoni, BEDDAKD. 

 M. Poultoni, BEDDARD, loc. cit., p. 32. 



Definition. Length, about 30 mm. Setae in eight rows, ventral converging on genital 

 segments. Nephridia commence in segment II. Gizzard, absent. No spermathecae ; 

 testes in X, XI. Sperm-ducts, after uniting together, pierce the body-wall and unite 

 with the spermiducal gland just at its opening on to the exterior. Penial setae present. 

 Hob. Madeira. 



I have figured the penial setae of this species (38, fig. 2, p. 34), which are quite 

 unornamented. There are no figures of the penial setae of the two other species 

 which possess penial setae ; but it appears from the descriptions that their form is 

 not at all different from those of the present species. The first nephridiopore lies, 

 as mentioned in the above definition of the species, on the second segment, but the 

 nephriclium itself chiefly lies in the following segment, i.e. the third. This extension 



