ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY. MICROSCOPY, ETC. 515 



more extended memoir, can he accept the views of the just-mentioned 

 naturalist or those of Sedgwick as to the relations between Medusae and 

 Annelids. 



Epidermis of Serpulidae. " — M. A. Soulier has had some difficulty in 

 examining the structure of the epidermis in these worms. The cells are 

 not sharply distinguished, and they vary in the degree to which tliey 

 stain, while it often happens that they become retracted. Like Claparetle 

 he is able to distinguish a true ejiidermis from a hypodermis; in the 

 former are numerous alveoli, some of which are found empty, while 

 others are filled with granulations or a homogeneous liquid which stains 

 intensely. These alveoli elaborate the mucus ; they are surrounded by 

 fibro-cells which stain less intensely. The hypodermis has a similar 

 constitution ; in certain cases it increases in thickness and forms 

 swellings. Myxicola secretes a very thick tube in a few minutes, owing 

 to the large number of these swellings which it possesses. The author 

 is of opinion that the supjwrting and the muciferous fibro-cells of the 

 epidermis of the Serpulidre have their origin in the hypodermis, and 

 that they are merely differentiated connective cells. 



Marine Oligochaeta of Plymouth-f— Mr. F. E. Beddard states that 

 there are three species of Oligochseta common in the Sound at Plymouth, 

 which are apparently identical with certain forms described by 

 Claparede from the shores of Scotland and Fiance. One belongs to the 

 genus Pachydrilus, and the two others are Clitellio arenarius and C. 

 ater. Tuhifex lineatus has been slated to occur at Plymouth, but this 

 is a most mysterious species, Hoffmeister's original description not 

 rendering its identification possible. 



Australian Earthworms.| — In his fifth communication on this sub- 

 ject Mr. J. J. Fletcher describes twenty new species of earthworms, 

 chiefly from New South Wales, but there are a few from Queensland and 

 South Australia. They belong to the genera Megascolides, Perissogaster, 

 Digaster, Perichseta, and Cnjptodrilus ; of the last there are eleven 

 species. At present it would be premature to separate any as types of 

 new genera, though it is obvious that that will have to be done, so 

 remarkable are the characters of some of the species. Some fifty species 

 of Australian earthworms are now known, but three or four times as 

 many probably remain to be discovered. It cannot yet be certainly said 

 that the interesting morjdiological points detailed by Prof. Baldwin 

 Spencer in his recent memoir on Megascolides australis will be found to 

 be of equal systematic value. 



Green Cells in Integument of Aeolosoma tenebrarum.§ — Mr. F. E. 



Beddard describes the green-coloured sj)ots of this worm as large cells 

 with a thin peripheral layer of protoplasm containing a nucleus ; in the 

 centre is a large globule of oily appearance impregnated with the colour- 

 ing matter ; treatment with various reagents seems to show that this 

 green pigment is not chlorophyll. The author suggests that it belongs 

 to the class of respiratory pigments, with a number of which he com- 

 pares it, and it seems also to be of value as a means of protection. 



* Comptes Rendus, cviii. (1889) pp. 460-3. 

 t Journ. Marine Biol. Assoc, i. (1889) pp. 69-71. 

 X Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., iii. (1889) pp. 1521-58. 

 § Proc. Zool. Soc, 1SS9, p[K 51-6 (1 pi.). 



