240 DR. W. B. BENHAM ON [NoV. 15 



ToKEA *, gen. nov. 



Characters of the genus. — Ohfete 8, spaced, and more or less 

 equidistant; clitelliun girdle-like (13) 14 — 17 (18), i.e. covers 

 4 or 5 segments. 



Male pore common with that of prostate, in 18th segment. 

 Two pairs of testes in usual segments ; two pairs of sperm-sacs in 

 segments 9, 12 ; the prostates are long, tongue -shaped, lie below 

 the gut, close to one another, and extend through several 

 segments. No penial chsetee. 



The gizzard in 5 ; no calcareoiTS glands ; last heart in 12 or 13. 

 Micronephric, with meganephore in last few segments. Sperma- 

 thecse two or three pairs, the last in segment 9. 



Distrihtbtion, North Island, New Zealand. 



1. ToKEA ESCULENTA, sp. n. (Text-figs. 62-67.) 



This is one of the edible earthworms alluded to in Mr. Best's 

 article as " Kurekure " — as being a specially tasty article of food. 

 As a matter of fact, under this name I find two species recog- 

 nisable, viz., this and the following. 



Mr. Best states that it is " a short red or brown worm about 

 6 inches in length ; found in stony places." 



Of this species I received four individuals. 



The colour (in f ormol) is a rather dark purplish-red, paler below ; 

 but the pigment extends further round the body than usual ; the 

 anterior end is not perceptibly darker ; the clitellum is brown. 



Dimensions. The largest is^ll5 mm. in length ; the one studied 

 is 100 mm. X 6 mm., with 110 segments. 



The body is cylindrical, 



Prostomium is epilobic, 1/2 ; the posterior groove is but feebly 

 developed, but visible when the buccal region is everted, 



Ghmtce : the 4 on each side are nearly equidistant, and when 

 viewed from above both c and d are visible ; i. e. d is dorsally 

 placed and c is on the lateral line. 



In the mid-body aa = hc=cd>ah : c?cZ = nearly 2 aa. 



In the preclitellar region the gap aa becomes greater and ah 

 rather smaller. 



Clitellum : this is complete (i. e. girdle-shaped) and well 

 developed over the four segments 14-17, where the interseg- 

 mental furrows are obliterated. The dorsal surfaces of 13 and 18 

 are also glandular, but the clitellar colouring is not so definite, 

 and, moreover, the grooves 13/14 and 17/18 are deep. 



Genital pores, d-c. (text-fig. 62).— There is a pair of male pores 

 in the 18th segment; each is a small pit,! in a small, oval, pale 

 spot, and from this small pit a little papilla projects up to the 

 level of the body- wall (text-fig. 63). 



This oval poriferous area is in line with a. 



Tubercula pubertatis, in the form of small paired glands, are 



* " Toke" is the Maori for Earthworm. 



