SG REV. HILDERIC FRIEND ON 



thoroughly impressed me with his accuracy and conscientiousness that I am 

 «till hoping to rediscover the species named. While he was working with 

 the larger earthworms, Bourne (4) and Bousfield (5) were rendering splendid 

 service by their researches among the Naidid?e. It is enough at this point to 

 refer to the Journal of this Society (Zoology, vols, xix.-xx.) for evidence 

 of the careful and valuable work of Dr. Bousfield. The next important 

 contribution to our subject came from the pen of Dr. Benham (2), and it 

 may perhaps be said that he did for the Tubificidse what Bousfield and 

 Bourne had done for the Nai'didse. His "Notes on some Aquatic Oligoclipeta " 

 for the first time opened up the great and important field of research 

 presented by the large and interesting group of worms of which Tuhifex is 

 the type. While some of his material came from the mouth of the Thames, 

 being supplied by Mr. W. H. Shrubsole of Sheorness, other species were 

 found in the neighbourhood of Oxford, which forms the limit of our field 

 inland. 



Of Beddard (6) it must suffice to say that his splendid ' Monogra[)li of the 

 Order Oligocheeta ' was an epoch-making book, and gave so great a stimulus 

 to research that if it were brought up to date it would have to record many 

 hundreds of new species. He is undoubtedly the highest authority this 

 country has ever produced on the subject of Oligochsets. 



My own researches into this order began in 1890. During that year I 

 found some annelids in London which had not previously been recorded, and 

 by the aid of some indefatigable collectors was able to do a good deal of 

 work among the Lumbricidre and Enchytr^eidae (7). I nnist specially 

 mention Mr. George Day, F.R.M.S., and Mr. William Allen of Plaistow. 

 During the past twenty years I have worked at Oxford, Marlow, Kew, the 

 suburbs of London, and Sheerness, and have had the kind assistance of 

 Mr. Chas. >S. Todd, of Tottenham, and others, to whom my thanks are due 

 for help. Aided by a Government Grant for these researches I have, 

 •during the past year (1911), paid a sp(>cial visit to the Thames Valley, and 

 am able as a result to add a number of species to our former lists, some 

 of which are new to science. We may now pass to a systematic study of 

 the species which are found in the district under review, and for convenience 

 ^of reference it may be desirable to follow the order adopted by Beddard, and 

 still more recently by Michaelsen (8). 



SYSTEMATIC SURVEY. 



Family ^olosomatid.e. 



Michaelsen places in this family one certain and one doubtful genus. To 

 the genus ^Eolomma he allots seven species, and no new species has been 

 added to the six which are on record for Great Britain. These annelids are 



