1902.] NEW SPECIES OP EARTHWORMS. 191 



East and Central Africa. There are at present twelve species 

 known, of which eleven are characterized (from the original 

 descriptions by himself and by myself) by Dr. Michaelsen in his 

 " Oligochgeta " which forms Lieferung X. of 'Das Tierreich'\ 

 To these I have recently added a twelfth species, also collected by 

 Mr. Hinde '. I have now some observations to record upon new 

 species. The first of these I shall name 



(1) POLYTOREUTUS KENYAENSIS, n. Sp. 



This new species is one of the smaller forms, and agrees in its 

 dimensions with P. cceruleus and P. violaceas. The large series 

 of specimens which I have examined vary somewhat in dimen- 

 sions ; 100 mm. in length by 5 mm. in breadth were the measure- 

 m^ents of an average specimen among the larger ones. The 

 species is evidently a darkly coloured one ; in the spirit the 

 specimens were purplish brown dorsally. The prostomium is 

 epicheilous, extending abovit halfway across the buccal segment. 



The clitellum is completely developed round the body and 

 embraces segments xiv.-xvii. inclusive with a portion of xviii. 

 and sometimes of xiii. 



The setse, as is usual in this genus, are at unequal distances. 

 The two setee of the ventral couple are wider apart than are those 

 of the lateral couple. The nephridiopores are only plainly visible 

 upon the clitellar segments ; they lie close to the anterior margin 

 of the segment in a line with the ventralmost of the two lateral 

 setae. 



The oviducal pores are obvious upon the xivth segment ; they 

 lie near to the posterior boundary of that segment and a little 

 ventrally to the nephridiopores. 



The most sti-iking external feature of this species is shown in 

 the accompanj'ing drawings (text-figs. 46, 47). The male and 

 female pores (to the description of which I shall return presently) 

 lie on an area which is enclosed within a raised and lip-like fold 

 which commences upon the sixteenth segment in front, and is 

 continued back for a variable number of segments. Anteriorly 

 upon the xvith segment and close to the front boundary of this 

 segment, the folds of the right and of the left side nearly or quite 

 coalesce ; they then diverge to enclose the male pore and become 

 again approximated upon the xviiith segment and behind this 

 pore. The larger spermathecal pore pushes the folds still further 

 apart. Two or three segments behind this point the right and 

 left folds again approach each other, but much more nearly, and 

 they may even come into contact upon the last segments where 

 they are developed, leaving merel}^ a groove to indicate their 

 original distinctness. This groove is generally closed posterioily 

 by an unpaired swelling of the integument. The whole area has 

 thus very much the contour of a violin. I examined altogether 



1 Berlin, 1900, p. 412. 



2 " On some Earthworms from British East Africa, &c.," P. Z. S. 1901, i. p. 336. 



