1904.] EARTHWORMS FROM XEAV ZEALAND. 255 



Localities. Auckland ; Waitakerei Busli and Xikau Palm Bush 

 (near Auckland); North Island, ISTew Zealand. 



Remarhs on tJi.e Geiias Tokea. 



The distribution of the seven species attiibuted to this genus 

 extends over a considerable portion of the North Island of ISTew 

 Zealand, for the localities from which si^ecimens have been 

 collected are widely separated and cover more than three degrees 

 of latitude, the most northerly spot being Ohaeawai, practically 

 in latitude 35" south, and the most southerly spot, Kuatahuua, 

 is south of 38^. 



The really striking fact illustrated by these seven neA\- species 

 is the i^resence in the North Island of New Zealand of a Ciypto- 

 driline genus as an important, and apparently- predominating^ 

 element in the Earthworm fauna. 



Hithei'to, as I have remarked, our knowledge of this fauna in 

 New Zealand has been derived fi'om a study of the South Island 

 repi-esentatives, and here the predominating element is the 

 Acanthodriline series. 



This was recognised some yeai's ago by Beddard, who in his 

 ' Monograph ' (p. 154) says : — " New Zealand is essentially 

 diffeient from Australia. The prevalent forms in Australia are 

 Perichsetidse and Cryptodrilidas ; the most abundant worms in 

 New Zealand are Acanthodrilidte." 



I have, in my Presidential Address to Section D of the 

 Austi-alian Association for the Advancement of Science ('02, h), 

 dealt with this diffei'ence very fully, and little thought that the 

 Noi-th Island would present so diflerent a set of Earthworms. 



Beddard, indeed (1890. p. 285), suggests that "the North 

 Island may prove to be moie ' Australian ' in its chai-acter when 

 it comes to be known " ; but the grounds for this statement at 

 that time seem to have been very slender, for only one worm 

 had been recorded from that island, ^-iz. Schmarda's '■^ Mypogieon 

 m'thostichon" of which nothing Avas known beyond the few facts 

 of its external appearance recorded by that zoologist, and sufficient 

 of its internal anatomy noted by Beddard to indicate its Crypto- 

 driline affinity. So characteristic, indeed, is the Acanthodriline 

 group of worms, that doubt has been thrown upon the occurrence 

 of this species in New Zealand. Captain Hutton (79) doubted 

 it on geographical grounds, for Schmarda gives the locality 

 as "Moiuit Wellington, New Zealand"; and Hutton, knowing 

 that there was no mountain of any size called by this name in 

 New- Zealand, stated that probably some confusion with " Mt. Wel- 

 lington," Hobart, Tasmania, had crept into Schmarda's notes. 

 In my Presidential Address, I omitted it entirely from the list 

 of earthworms occurring in this Colony, and even so far as to 

 read a note ('02. c) attributing it to Tasmania. But, in view 

 of the uiidovibted occuri-ence of Cryptodiiline worms in New 

 Zealand, this doubt is itself rendered somevshat doubtful and 



