THE OLIGOCH^TA TERRICOL^. PART I. Igl 



linse, and places P. cmgulata as a synonym of both P. rohiista 

 and P. quadragenaria. He thus differs greatly from me. 



I am still not in agreement with Michaelsen's reasons for 

 regarding as different P. martensi with which must be re- 

 garded as synonymous P. eoa; for, although in most of the 

 examples of the species which I am now considering I never 

 saw the small accessory diverticulum upon the duct of the diver- 

 ticulum which characterises P. martensi, it did occur in one 

 individual. On the other hand, the noticeably larger setse 

 distinguishes my species. Rosa says nothing of this in describ- 

 ing P. eoa, nor does Michaelsen in his monograph of the group 

 in Das Thierreich. 



It is also this character, that is, the large size of the setse 

 of the first 8 segments, which leads me to regard the present 

 species as differing from the others of the P. cingulata group. 

 The number of spermathecse (although I found only 3 pairs in 

 one individual) serves to differentiate P. decipiens from P. 

 philipinna and P. pura. There remains, however, the undoubted 

 fact that the present species is very near to the "P. cingulata" 

 group, and further examination of the species referred to that 

 group may prove an identity with P. decipiens which at present 

 is not quite plain. 



The most salient external character of the present species 

 is one in which it agrees with Pheretima benguetensis; namely, 

 the large setse of the anterior segments of the body; their 

 arrangement in the present species appears to be identical with 

 that in P. benguetensis. That is, after the IXth segment the 

 setse suddenly diminish in size as compared with those on that 

 segment. This character is very obvious and needs no careful 

 examination for its demonstration. In its other external char- 

 acters, also, Pheretima decipiens seems to be exactly like P. 

 benguetensis. It has a clitellum of fully 3 segments without 

 any setse thereon ; there are no genital papillae. The male pores 

 are separated by from 6 to 8 setse and each lies at the level of 

 about the eighth setse. The reason for the apparent discrepancy 

 in the above remarks is that the pores are large and there are 

 no setse close to the inside of each pore on the XVIIIth segment. 

 The dorsal pores and the oviducal aperture are precisely as in 

 P. benguetensis. In regard to the alimentary canal, the large 

 intestine undoubtedly commences in segment XVI. When the 

 intestine in this segment is cut open, the narrow oesophagus 

 can be seen to open onto a median, valvular projection into the 

 lumen of the large intestine. The caeca are conspicuous, but 



