NEW SPECIES OE PERICH^TA. 213 



PericJicBta malamaniensis. 



In 1885, in my earliest contribution to the literature of 

 Earthworms, I referred * (p. 256) to the fact that a species of 

 Pericliceta from the Philippine Islands presented " numerous 

 nephridia " in each segment. Later t, in 1891, I gave the 

 name P. malamaniensis to this species, and was guilty of an 

 indefensible procedure in giving a name to a new worm 

 without a diagnosis of it. This error I propose now to rectify. 

 My attention was drawn to this worm, which I had so long 

 neglected, by coming across some drawings of it, in which I 

 recorded the fact (entirely forgotten) that the spermidiical gland 

 is provided with an exceptionally large muscular sac. I at 

 once concluded, in view of my discovery in P. Arturi, that here 

 too I should find a ' penis ' of the same character as in that 

 worm. 



I consequently re-examined the series of sections which I cut 

 some eleven years ago, with the result that my expectation was 

 confirmed. 



Perich^ta malamaniet^sis, Benham, 1891. 



The material at my disposal consisted of three worms and a 

 piece, collected during the ' Challeager ' expedition at Malamani. 



The length of the worm is 90 to 100 mm. with a diameter of 

 about 5 mm. ; there are 104 segments. 



The worm is dirty yellowish brown, nearly uniform %, without 

 chsetal bands. 



The clitellum is distinctly brown. 



The anterior end is rather obtuse ; the prostomium is small. 



The male pores are slit-like, on rather conspicuous and slightly 

 prominent, but not extensive, " porophores," separated by 10 

 chsetse ; there are no copulatory papillse. There is a single pair 

 of spermathecal pores between segments vii./viii. in a line with 

 the male pores. About 15 chsetee measured in segment viii. lie 

 between the lines joining tbe pores. 



The dorsal pores commence between segments xii./xiir., and 

 are visible on the clitellum, which is quite normal and presents 

 no chsetse. 



* Qu. Jour. Micr. Sci. xxvi. 

 t Qu. Jour. Micr. Sci. xxxii. p. 316. 



\ Tlie worms were in glasB-stoppered bottle?, so that this colour has nothing 

 to do with the " cork," as Michaelsen has suggested might be the ease. 



15* 



