Southern — Monograph of the British and Irish Oligochceta. 135 



contracted worm being about 50 mm. long, expanding in water to at least 

 150 mm. The worms live with their heads buried in the mud, whilst the 

 tails wave actively about in the water. Their tenacity of life is very remark- 

 able. I kept the tail-end of several specimens in a small dish of clean water 

 for several months, and at the end of that period they were still actively 

 wriggling about, though they could not possibly have taken any food. 



The setae were more numerous than in Beddard's specimens. The 

 anterior dorsal bundles contain 6-9 short, and 1-3 capillary setae. The 

 ventral bundles contain 7-11 setse. In young forms there are usually three 

 capillary setae in the dorsal bundles. The tips of the anterior ventral bundles 

 are single. They gradually change into bifid setae behind the fifth segment. 

 The clitellum occupies segments JIO, 11, 12. The larger specimens are of 

 a deep purple colour, the younger ones blood-red. 



May (mature). 



Habitat — Ireland. Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin. 



Distrilndion — Eegent's Park ; Kew Gardens. 



Clitellio arenarius (Miill.). 



1889. G.a., Beddard in Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1888, p. 490. 



This species occurs in large numbers in suitable places on the shore. The 

 spermatophores are very conspicuous in the mature species, and are longer 

 and narrower than those figured by Claparede. (4. PL ill., fig. 4.) 



Mature — February, March, June. 



Hahitat — Ireland. Dublin coast (Malahide, Sandymounl, Sandycove). 



Distribution — British Isles ; Western Europe. 



Limnodrilus udekemianus Clap. 



1896. L. II., Friend in Irish Nat., vol. v., p. 127. 



1897. L. u., Friend in Irish Nat., vol. vi., p. 207. 



1898. L.u. + L. Wordsivorthiamis, Friend in Zoologist, 4th ser., vol. ii., 

 p. 120. 



This species^ occurs in vast numbers in muddy sediment in the R. Douglas 

 at Adlington, Lancashire. It is made conspicuous by the rings of bluish-grey 



1 Note added in Press. — I have recently received from Eoscrea, Co. Tipperary, a large number 

 of worms belonging to this species. They were found by a farmer in a drain running under his 

 garden. The drain, which is 6" by 4" in size, was choked for a distance of 3 or 4 feet by a mass 

 of these worms. The drain only received overflow water from a pump. The source of these worms 

 is unknown. Their slow rate of reproduction and the absence of sufficient food indicate that they 

 did not originate in the drain. It is quite possible that they live in underground water, which 

 supplies the pump, and had collected in the drain owing to their habit of associating in tangled 

 masses. 



K.I. A. PROC, VOL. XXVII., SECT. B. [i^] 



