The Classification and DistrihtUion of Eartlmoorms. 285 



Southern Island. The North Island may prove to be more 

 " Australian " in its character, when it comes to be known. 

 If it were not for the fact that in New Caledonia Acantho- 

 drilus is a characteristic form, the earthworm fauna of ISTew 

 Zealand would, perhaps, rather support Professor Huxley's 

 view of its independence as a separate region. 



This is the place to point out the very striking resemblance 

 that exists between many parts of the Antarctic hemisphere in 

 respect of their terrestrial Oligochaeta. 



Patagonia and the Falkland Islands have between them 

 four species of earthworms which are all referable to the 

 genus Acantliodrilus. Although other species may be met 

 with, this genus is hardly likely to prove anything but most 

 characteristic. Prom South Georgia only one species of 

 earthworm has been described [Acantliodrilus georgianus), 

 which also occurs in the Palklands. Kerguelen and Marion 

 Islands have not, perhaps, been very thoroughly explored, 

 but it is remarkable that the only form which has been dis- 

 covered should be identical in the two islands, and should 

 be a species of Acantliodrilus. In South Africa the genus 

 Acantliodrilus occurs ; but although several species have been 

 described from the African continent, the genus cannot at 

 present be exactly regarded as characteristic. 



It is possible that this similarity between such widely 

 removed parts of the earth's surface as those enumerated 

 above may be caused by their nearness to the Antarctic 

 continent, from which they were all originally stocked. This 

 is more credible than the assumption by some of a former 

 direct land connection between New Zealand and South 

 America. It might, perhaps, be believed that the distribu- 

 tion of the genus Acantliodrilus had a relation to tempera- 

 ture, were it not for the fact that species have been found in 

 Africa near to, but north of, the Equator. The distribution of 

 this genus is in some respects parallelled by that of the 

 marine Isopodan genus Serolis, and of the Penguins and 

 Sheathbills among birds, and of the Coleoptera among insects.^ 

 It must surely have originated in the Antarctic continent, 

 and have gradually spread northwards. The species are 

 1 Heilprinn, loc. cit., p. 281. 



