360 ME. F. E. BEDDARD ON EARTHWORMS [Apr. 16, 



prosfcomium is not cut off from the peristomial segment by any 

 furrow. 



The setaj present on the whole the characters of those of 

 Gordiodrilus tenuis in that there is a difference in size between 

 the ventral and the lateral pairs. The ventral pairs are m\ich 

 more marked than the lateral, especially in a few segments just 

 anterior to those which bear the male generative orifices. In this 

 situation they appear to the naked eye as strongish hooks. Fixe 

 segments or so showed these particularly strong setae. But an 

 examination of the very last segments of the body showed a 

 similar difference in size, only that here the difference was not so 

 pronounced. The condition of the setse of the present species is 

 in some respects intermediate between that -which characterizes 

 Gordiodrilus tenuis and G. rohustus. In the latter species the 

 ventral set^e of a few segments in front of the male genital pores 

 are markedly larger than the rest. In G. tenuis, on the other 

 hand, the whole series of ventral setse are much larger than the 

 lateral, and their increased size can, as has been pointed out, be 

 readily felt when the worm is handled, xls in some other species 

 of Gordiodrilus, the ventral setae of the generative segments are 

 partly absent. 



The clitellum is a little difficult to map on a naked-eye inspectioji 

 of the worm. Segments xviii.-xxii. appeared to be those occupied 

 by this modified region of the integument.^ 



The genital region of this species shows several characters whicli 

 enable the species to be differentiated from all its allies. As will be 

 seen by the accompanying figure (text-fig. 88, p. 359), the segments 

 which carry the male pores are somewhat swollen when compared 

 with those that immediately precede and succeed. On these two 

 segments, which are the xviiith and the xixth, a somewhat figure- 

 of-8-shaped tumid area extends from end to end on each side ; 

 this is traversed by a longitudinal groove ; the whole area of each 

 side measures 3"25 mm, and the groove about 1'8 mm. The 

 swollen structure would seem to be capable of performing the 

 function of a sucker. But in addition to it there are four pairs 

 of genital papiUof, the presence of which has suggested the name 

 of the species, and which serve at once to differentiate Gordiodrilus 

 jjccpillatus from any of the other species of the genus which have 

 been hitherto described. These papillae are arranged in pairs 

 following each other. The first pair are in front of the anterior 

 end of the figure of 8. The last pair occupy a corresponding 

 position behind this figure of 8, and in the middle are the two 

 remaining pairs, closer together than either of them is to the first 

 or to the last pair of papilla). The groove which traverses the 

 swollen sueker-like structure widens at both the anterior and at 

 the posterior end, and at these points open the spermiducal glands. 

 After an interval of four segments there are three segments, each 



^ I am indebted for the sketch from which the above drawing was made to 

 Miss Pedarb. ^ 



