670 DR. A. G. BOURNE ON INDIAN EARTHWORMS. [DeC. 21, 



The nephridia are small and present a unique arrangement. The 

 nephridiopores are all placed on the anterior edge of a somite. They 

 are placed in two rows on each side, an inner and an outer row. 

 The inner row is about in a line with the 11th setse. Counting 

 from the median ventral line, the outer row is about in a line with the 

 1 7th setse, while the spermathecal pores are in a line with the 4th setae. 



In somite iv. there is a single uephridiopore on the left-hand side, 

 in somite v. there is a single pore on the right-hand side, in somite 

 vi. there is a single pore on the left-hand side ; these three pores all 

 belong to the inner rows. In somite vii. I found no pore. The 

 remaining somites each present two pores. In somites viii., x., xii., 

 xiv., &c. the pore on the right side belongs to the outer row, and the 

 pore on the left side to the inner row. In somites ix., xi., xiii,, xv., 

 &c. the reverse arrangement obtains, viz., the left-liand pore belongs 

 to the outer row and the right-hand pore to the inner row. 



In too many cases we do not, unfortunately, know the position of 

 the uephridiopore : I have not access out here to the description of 

 Plutellus S but the nephridiopores are there said to alternate in 

 position ; with this exception the arrangement is unique and bears a 

 most interesting relation to the theory that the spermathecse are 

 modified nephridia. It will he noted that the distances between the 

 outer and inner rows of nephridiopores, between the inner row of 

 nephridiopores and the row of spermathecal pores, and, lastly, 

 between the rows of spermathecal pores, are almost exactly equal, and 

 the pores have exactly similar positions in the somite. 



I have made no observations on the alimentary canal. 



There are 45-54 setse in each somite arranged in an almost con- 

 tinuous ring. 



Setse are present on the clitellum. No modified genital setse were 

 observed. 



Length 60 milUm., circumference 6 mm. ; number of somites 61. 



Hab. Ootacamund ; Naduvatam, Nilgiris. Elevation about 6500- 

 7500 feet. 



It is a very strong little worm, and the name refers to its power 

 of leaping into the air when touched. 



MONILIGASTRID^. 



The huge worm which is mentioned in Darwin's book as occurring 

 on the Nilgiris turned out to be a Moniligaster, a form then known 

 from Perrier's description of a single specimen which he called 

 M. deshayesii. I have since received information that Mr. Beddard 

 has described another species from Ceylon as M. barwelli ^. 



I found, in addition to the large worm, four smaller species of 

 Moniligaster on the Nilgiris, and two others on the Shevaroys or 

 rather at Salem, at the foot of the ghaut. 



I have thus recognized seven species altogether, but it is exceed- 

 ingly difficult to characterize these accurately until we know their 

 general organization better, so that I regard the following very scanty 

 descriptions as preliminary. 



1 Arch, de Zool. Exp. t. ii. (1873). 



2 Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., Feb. 1886, p. 940. 



