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VIII. 



CONTEIBUTIONS TOWAEDS A MONOGRAPH OF THE BRITISH 

 AND IRISH OLIGOCH^TA. 



By ROWLAND SOUTHERN. B.Sc. 

 Plates YII.-XI. 



Read January 25. Ordered for Publication January 27. Published April 24, 1909. 



Introduction. 



The Oligochseta recorded in this paper have been collected in various parts 

 of the British Isles. The great majority are from Ireland ; and most of the 

 collecting has been done in Co. Dublin and Co. Wicklow. By the aid of 

 grants from the Flora and Fauna Committee of the Royal Irish Academy, 

 I was enabled to spend some time collecting Oligochseta in Co. Kerry and 

 Co. Donegal in 1906. Some few English and Welsh specimens I collected 

 in Lancashire and Barmouth respectively. I am much indebted to 

 Mr. W. Evans, of Edinburgh, who sent me a number of specimens, chiefly 

 of the smaller species. In June, 1907, during a short visit to the Isle of 

 Man, I collected a number of species. I am also greatly indebted to the 

 Rev. H. Friend, who has supplied me with a large number of unpublished 

 records of the Lumbricidas. The type specimens and collections are deposited 

 in the National Museum, Dublin. 



So far as the systematic study of the British Oligochseta is concerned, 

 attention has been confined chiefly to the two families Naididee and Lumbri- 

 cidse. Much work on the former family has been done, especially by 

 Lankester, Bousfield, Bourne, Benham, Beddard, &c. The elucidation of our 

 earthworm fauna is chiefly the work of the Rev. H. Friend. The Tubificidse, 

 and especially the Enchytrseidaj, have been greatly neglected ; and I have 

 paid special attention to these groups. 



The large number of new species and of additions to the British list 

 shows how much work remains to be done on this order before our knowledge 

 can be considered in any way complete. The only family which is fairly 

 well known, and whose distribution can be compared with that of the 



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