280 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



Mr Clarence Bartlett kindly presented me with two earth- 

 worms, one being an example oi Perichceta indica, which he had 

 found in the earth surrounding the roots of some orchids which 

 had been recently imported by him from South America. 



A package of ferns from New Zealand contained a large 

 number of specimens of Allolohophora and Lumhricus (I have 

 not identified the species) which had survived the long 

 voyage. For these I am indebted to the same gentleman. 



The next matter is to decide which forms have been 

 probably introduced, and which are really indigenous. It is, 

 of course, impossible to do more than make a reasonable 

 assumption, which further progress in our knowledge may 

 prove to be an unwarrantable assumption. Taking into 

 consideration what we know of the occurrence of Perichceta 

 in Europe and North America, it may be safely inferred that 

 this genus is not indigenous in either of these countries, but 

 that it is indigenous in a portion of the Palsearctic region — 

 viz., in Japan.^ 



With regard to Lumhricus and Allolohophora, these genera 

 unquestionably form the predominant types in Europe and 

 North America. They far outnumber the other genera not 

 only in variety of species but in number of individuals. It 

 cannot, therefore, be doubted that they are indigenous to 

 these parts of the world. On the other hand, comparatively 

 few species of Lnmhricus and Allolohophora have been 

 recorded from other countries. In New Zealand, for example, 

 the genus Acanthodrilus outnumbers Lumhricus and Allolo- 

 hophora. In South America the many peculiar genera include 

 a total number of species which is greater than that of the 

 few Anticlitellian worms which have been recorded from 

 that continent. Dr Michaelsen,^ in an important contribution 



1 Three species have been described by Horst (New Species of the Genus 

 Megascolex, etc. — Notes Leyd. Mus., vol. v., p. 182) from Japan. In a collection 

 which Professor Milne made for me at the kind request of Dr Anderson, there 

 were examples of Perichceta which were quite as numerous as Allolohophora 

 fcetida, the only other species contained in the collection. This is some 

 evidence that the genus Perichceta is common in Japan. I have not identi- 

 fied the species. 



- Oligochseten des naturhistorischen Museums in Hamburg— J. B. Hamb. 

 Wiss. Anstalt vi. 



