160 MR, F. E. BEDDARD ON WORMS [Feb. 16, 



hoped would be more thorough, were cut short by the drying up of 

 the specimens ; I had proposed to study the vascular system in detail, 

 but my failure to do so is the less to be regretted since Prof. A. G. 

 Bourne has recently published ^ an excellent account of the circu- 

 latory organs of the large Megascolex cceruleus, which would 

 probably in any case have rendered a similar account of the circula- 

 tory organs of Perichaeta unnecessary. 



I may, however, call attention to figs. 7 & 8, which represent a 

 portion of the capillary network upon the spermathecal diverticulum 

 drawn from the living organ. It will be noticed that this network 

 is of some vertical thickness ; its branches lie in two planes, both of 

 which are contained in the superficial layers of the pouch and do not 

 penetrate between the cells of its lining epithelium. 



The atrium is not furnished with a terminal sac. 



A crowd of closely pressed white egg-shaped glands corresponds 

 to each of the genital papillae (Plate X. fig. 2). 



The setcB of segments vi., vii., viii.. ix. are longer and stouter than 

 those upon the anterior and posterior segments ; this is especially 

 the case with the more laterally placed. 



The seta formula is as follows : — 



Segment I. V. XII. XXV. 



28 26 42 48 



Perich^ta bermudensis, n. sp. 



I received thirty or forty examples of this Perichceta preserved in 

 spirit from the Bermudas ; I am indebted for them to Surgeon- 

 Major Windle. 



The specimens were all of about the same size ; the length of one 

 specimen chosen at random is 120 mm., breadth 4 mm., number of 

 segments 93. The colour (in alcohol) is a reddish brown dorsally, 

 passing into a yellovrish colour ventrally. 



The prostomium extends back over about half of the peristomial 

 segment. 



The setce are small on the first setigerous segment ; they gradually 

 increase in size on the next three, and then get small again ; they 

 are quite small on segment ix. They form complete circles. 



The clitellum shows the unusual, though not unique (see de- 

 scription of Perichceta dyeri, p. 157), character of not completely 

 occupying three segments. Instead of being developed over the 

 entire circumference of segments xiv.-xvi., it only commences to 

 be visible 1 mm. after the boundary-line of segments xiii./xiv. 

 and terminates at about the same distance in front of the boundary- 

 line between segments xvi./xvii. This gives the clitellum a 

 peculiar and very characteristic appearance. As it occurred in all 

 the specimens which I examined, I regard this reduction of the 

 clitellum as a valid specific character. 



The clitellum is not entirely unprovided with setse ; there is a 



^ "On Megascolex cceruleus, Templeton, from Ceylon, &c.," Q. J. Micr. Sci. 

 vol. xxxii. p. 49. 



