1900.] ON AX EARTHWORM OF THE GENUS BENHAMIA. 167 



known, at least not to me, and therefore I am not able to judge 

 concerning the alleged affinity between Ovibos and Budorcas. So 

 much may, however, be said, that if there should exist any great 

 affinity between these forms, Budorcas cannot be a Sheep. It is to 

 b 4 ) regretted that the anatomy of the Antelopes is so incompletely 

 known. When our knowledge of them becomes greater, then only 

 will a satisfactory classification of the Uavicoruia be possible. But, 

 to judge from its soft anatomy, the Musk-ox is entitled to form a 

 subfamily of its own, at least pro tempore, as well defined as the 

 Caprince or the Bovince. 



3. On a Species of Earthworm from Western Tropical 

 Africa, belonging to the Genus Benhamia. By Frank 

 E. Beddard F.R.S., &c. 



[Received January 30, 1900.] 



A few weeks ago I received, through the kindness of Mr. Martin 

 Woodward, a bottle containing some Earthworms which had been 

 collected in Ashanti, and which I refer to two distinct species, 

 both of which, so far as I can see, have already been characterized. 

 As, however, I am able to extend our knowledge of at least one of 

 these, I think it worth while to bring the notes of my dissections 

 before the Society. 



Benhamia csecifera (W. B. Benham). 



Five years ago Dr. Benham described ' a large Earthworm from 

 the Gold Coast which he referred to the genus Benhamia, and to a 

 new species of that genus named by him B. ccecifera on account of 

 the numerous ca^ca with which the intestine was furnished. The 

 larger specimen of those kindly presented to me by Mr. Woodward 

 appears to belong to this species. Dr. Benham's example is in 

 the collection of Earthworms in the British Museum ; and — as it 

 was the type of his new species — he was compelled to respect its 

 integrity as much as possible. I have been under no such 

 necessity, and am able therefore in a few points to supplement his 

 description. In order to avoid useless repetition, I shall in the 

 following notes upon this species abstain from commenting upon 

 such facts as are, according to my own investigations, rightly 

 described in Dr. Benham's memoir. I shall only deal with those 

 matters which he was compelled to leave unnoticed, or as to which 

 my own observations do not agree with his. The different state 

 of maturity of our two examples enables me, moreover, to add facts 

 which were evidently not apparent in Dr. Benham's specimen. 



The worm was fully mature and 80 cm. long. Though much 

 softened through imperfect preservation, a number of points were 



1 " On Benhamia ccecifera, n. sp., from the Gold Coast," Quart. Journ. Micr 

 Sc. vol. xxxvii. p. 103. 



