202 PROF. W. B. BEXHAM OX AQUATIC [NoV. 3, 



and legs dark brown externally, grizzled whitish internally ; 

 upper surface of hands naked, flesh-coloured, of feet pale brown, 

 lightening terminally to whitish ; soles quite naked, finely 

 granulated. Tail long, finely haired, yellow for its terminal two 

 inches and along its u.nder surface ; the remainder dark brown. 



Skull and teeth agreeing word for word with the description 

 of those of P. longicauda given in the ' Catalogue of Marsvipials.' 



Dimensions of the type, measured in skin : — 



Head and body 300 mm.; tail 177; hind foot (s. u.) 59 ; ear 

 (wet) 28. 



Skull — basal length 57"2 mm. ; greatest breadth 23'3 ; nasals 

 27x5-2; interorbital breadth 12-8 ; palate, length 37 ; combined 

 length of three anterior molariform teeth 10. 



Hah. Avera, Aroa River, British New Guinea. 



Tyije. Adult male. B.M. No. 3.12.1.23. Collected by A. S. 

 Meek. One specimen. 



In the conspicuous striping of its dorsal surface this handsome 

 species difiered from all known Bandicoots, though it was 

 possible that when dried skins of P. longicauda were examined, 

 some indication of a similar pattern of coloration would be found 

 to exist in that animal. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE XXIIL 



Fig. 1 a. Amsomys imitator (p. 200). Lower view of skull, natural size. 



1 f>- M >i „ Left upper molar scries, y. 



1 c- » ,, „ Upper view of skull. 



1 '^- !> „ „ Front view of incisors. 



1 ^- i> » ,! Right lower molar series, ^. 



2a&2b. Hi/omi/smeeki (p. 198). Lower and upper views of skull, natural 



size. 



2 c. Hj/omys meeki (p. 198). Right lower molar series, f . 



The following papers were read : — 



1. On some new Species of Aquatic Oligochseta from New 

 Zealand. By W. B. Benham, D.Sc, M.A., F.Z.S., 

 Hon. M.R S. Tasra. ; Professor of Biology in the Univer- 

 sity of Otago. 



[Received July 24, 1903.] 



(Plates XXIV.-XXVI.* and Text-figure 23.) 



In the course of a biological survey of the New-Zealand lakes 

 undertaken, during the year 1902,' by Messrs. K. Lucas and 

 Hodgson, of Cambridge, a considerable number of specimens of 

 Oligochajta were obtained which were placed in my hands for 

 identification. My best thanks are due to Mr. Lucas for his 



* For explanation of the Plates, see pp. 231, 232. 



