1886.] DR. A. G. BOURNE ON INDIAN EARTHWORMS. 663 
I regret that in some cases I was unable to render my observations 
complete, owing to want of sufficient material. It seems, however, 
desirable to publish this preliminary note even though it is in some 
cases incomplete, as more thorough investigations in any particular 
locality may be considerably delayed. The greater number of forms 
belong to the genera Pericheta and Moniligaster, and for the 
present I deal with these only. I have found, in addition to these, 
two species of Lumbricus at great elevations at Ootacamund and 
Coonoor. One of these presents a clitellum extending over somites 
XXVil.—xxxiv., and the other over somites xxx.-xxxiv. [refrain from 
naming these until I can characterize them more fully. I have also 
some worms belonging to other genera, but with the scanty literature 
to which I have access 1 cannot say whether they are new genera 
or not. 
Had it not been for Mr. Benham’s! most useful résumé of known 
Earthworms, I should have been able to do far less than I have done. 
Where I have given measurements or counted the somites I have 
chosen the largest individual I could find. 
PERICHZATID. 
The Perichetide are characterized by the fact that each somite 
bears numerous sete arranged in a more or less complete ring. 
The genera which are at present included in the group are :— 
Pericheta, Schm.; Megascolew, Temp. (Pleurocheta, Bedd.); Peri- 
onyx, E.P.; and Rhodopis, Kinb. 
pra genera are at present distinguished one from the others, 
thus:— 
Pericheta presents a clitellum in somites xiv., xv., and xvi., a pair 
of laterally-placed male pores in somite xvill., and very numerous 
equidistant sete. 
Megascolex presents 100 sete arranged in a ring, but with a dorsal 
break. 
Perionyx presents a clitellum in somites xiii., xiv., xv., xvi., and 
xvii., a pair of male pores placed in a median pit in somite xviii., 
and 30 equidistant sete. 
Rhodopis presents a clitellum in somites xii. and xiil., a pair of 
male pores between somites xiv. and xv., and 50 to 60 equidistant 
sete. 
Now let us consider these characters in relation to the worms 
described below. Among these we find that there are numerous 
intermediate conditions, in respect to the arrangement of the setze, 
between an almost equidistant series and a series presenting consider- 
able dorsal and ventral gaps*. Secondly, in one form there are two 
pairs of male pores (P. stuart). Lastly, with regard to the extent of 
the clitellum, in the form which I have referred to Perrier’s genus 
Perionyz it extends over three somites instead of five, while among the 
1 Quart. Journ. Microse. Sci. vol. xxvi. n. s. 
2 By the terms yentral and dorsal gaps I mean the space between the two 
most ventral and dorsal sets respectively. An ordinary gap is the space between 
any other two contiguous set, 
