PACIFIC COAST OLIGOCHMTA. 167 
anterior nephridia in the various species. In Sp. Benhami the most anterior pair is 
in xii, but they are smaller than those in xiii. In xy we find the first very large 
nephridium covered with a thick coelomic cell mantle. This mantle covers the ducts; 
sometimes we also find a mass of similar cells attached to the nephridium as a rounded, 
nearly separate mass, only connected with the nephridium by means of a very narrow 
part. Owing to the great opaqueness of the nephridia, [ have not been able to make 
out the run of all the canals, and can illustrate only a little more than the outline of 
the organ. It appears, however, that some of the canals are doubled. The outlet 
duet is very heavy, wide, and its walls are thick. It runs far up into the windings. 
There is a bridge, and I can distinguish all the various principal parts described by 
me in the nephridium of Pontodrilus. There are comparatively few blood vessels on 
the nephridia, and in this respect the species differs from Sp. Hiseni and Sp. Smithi, 
in which the nephridia are thickly covered and penetrated by capillaries, causing 
them to be of a deep pink color. As regards size, the nephridia are as high as the 
diameter of the coelom. The nephropores are in front of sete 1 and 2, and very 
wide. 
Vascular system. Benham’s description of the vascular system of Spargano- 
philus is so complete that I can add but little; the various species seem to agree to a 
very great degree. Sp. Benhami is distinguished by a scarcity of capillaries on the 
various organs of the body, such as clitellum, nephridia, etc., while in Sp. Simithi 
and Sp. Hiseni capillaries are so abundant that they, for instance, almost obscure the 
nephridial surface. The crystalization of the blood has already been described. It 
is found in all the vessels of the body, but especially in the mesenteric blood sinus. 
I have found swimming free in the blood two distinct cell elements, some of which 
are very large-—possibly leucocytes, while others are extremely minute, more round 
and dense—possibly erythrocytes. But as their description requires more time and 
study, I will defer it to a separate paper. 
The walls of the blood vessels present a banded appearance, caused by par- 
allel bands of thicker tissue, furnished with large circular nuclei, arranged in rather 
regular rows. 
A characteristic feature of the capillaries of this species are the numerous 
blood glands, similar to those I have described in Pontodrilus and Argilophilus. They 
are especially numerous in the nephridia and in the septal glands. They also contain 
a large number of nuclei. 
Sparganophilus guatemalensis n. subsp. 
Habitat. Guatemala. While in this Central American State several years 
ago I found a great number of specimens pertaining, as I believe, to at least three 
distinct species of Sparganophilus. ‘These, as well as my other oligoch:etological col- 
lections made there, were mostly destroyed by accident, few specimens being saved. 
These are now not in good condition for description, and this must account for the 
imperfect data I am able to furnish for all species now described from Guatemala. I 
found Sparganophili in that country in the most varied localities —City of Guatemala 
at Los Bafios, Los Arcos, Laguna Amatitlan, Coban, Panzos Ysabal, Duejias, ete. 
The present form is from Los Banos and from Coban. 
