1903.] OLIGOCH.ETA FROM NEW ZEALAND. 227 



Of the vascular system I noted tliat the last heavt is in 

 segment xiii. 



There is a peculiar " glandular organ " below the dorsal vessel 

 in the intestinal region. 



The nephridia are of large size, and visible through the trans- 

 parent wall in the entire " uncleared" worm. 



The Reproductive tSystem. — The two pairs of testes, the ovaries, 

 and oviducts have the normal position. 



There are two pairs of sperm-sacs, in segments ix. and xii., 

 while the two intervening segments are filled with loose masses of 

 developing sperms. 



The spermiducal gland is visible through the transparent wall ; 

 it extends through segments xix. to xxiii. ; it has the usual form 

 — long, cylindrical, undulating ; its curved duct is confined to the 

 eighteenth segment. 



There are no penial cliEetfe. 



The spermathecse, in segments viii., ix., are globular sacs, quite 

 filling their segments, wdth a short duct, into which opens a small 

 ovoid diverticulum. 



Dimensions. Length 38 mm. ; diameter 1| mm., reaching 2 mm. 

 anteriorl3^ Segments 67. 



Locality. Lake Manapouri, in the South Island of New Zealand, 

 from depths of 350 to 500 ft. 



Remarks. — In the absence of a gizzard this new species difi"ers 

 from all the known species of Diporochceta, and therein agrees 

 with Perionyx, from which, however, it differs in all the characters 

 that differentiate the two genera. 



No doubt the absence of gizzard is related to its aquatic habit. 

 Of the numerous species of this characteristically Australian 

 genus, only three have so few spermathecse as the present one — • 

 viz., D. pellucida Bourne *, from India, B. moroea Spencer t, 

 from Tasmania, both of which are of much greater size and have 

 more chsetse per segment ; and thirdly, D. scolecoidea Spencer J, also 

 from Tasmania, which, although of smaller size than the new 

 species, has many more chsetse ; and in all other important respects 

 these three differ from the present form. 



It is a fact of some interest that the first New-Zealand species 

 to be recorded, viz. D. intermedia Beddard §, was obtained from 

 Lake Brunner ; in it the gizzard is present, but of small size : 

 D. chathamensis Benham |j, in which the gizzard is also small, 

 came from a peat-swamp : while another species, the description 

 of which is not yet published, has no gizzard recognisable on dis- 

 section ; this is from the Otira gorge, not far from Lake Brunner. 

 Thus, of four known New-Zealand species of this genus, two are 

 aquatic. This may have some bearing on the sparse record of 



* Bourne, Quart. Journ. Micr. Sci. xxxvi. p. 13. 

 t Spencer, Proc. R. Soc. Victoria, vii. p. 49. 

 X Spencer, loc. cit. p. 51. 



§ Beddard, Quart. Journ. Micr. Sci. xxx. p. 467. 

 II Beniiam, Trans. N. Z. Instit. xxxiii. p. 134. 



15* 



