Southern — Monograph of the British and Irish Oligochceta. 149 



I have examined specimens from Ireland and Scotland. The Irish 

 specimens were 10 mm. long, the Scotch 18-25 mm. Claparede gives 

 8-10. The colour is reddish-yellow. Eed glands were sometimes present 

 on the epidermis. The clitellum is composed of close-set glands, and occupies 

 the 12th, and adjacent parts of the 11th and 13th segments. There are 4-5 

 setae in a bundle. The brain is somewhat concave before and behind, longer 

 than broad, and much broader behind than in front (PI. x., fig. 9, a). The 

 ventral ganglia of the anterior segments are kidney -shaped, and very large, 

 as is often the case in this genus (cf. M. lobata Bretscher). Small oval 

 copulatory glands occur on the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 17th segments, or in some 

 of them. 



The male organs and spermathecas agree closely with Olaparede's figures. 

 There are five pairs of large septal glands in the 4th -7th segments, those 

 on the 6th and 7th being the largest (fig. 9, b). In the 5th segment there is 

 a dorsal and a ventral pair. The dorsal vessel rises in the 13th segment. 

 The peritoneal cells of the gut are filled with dark contents. The penial 

 bulbs (fig. 9, c) are large and cylindrical. 



February, June, August. 



Habitat — Ireland. Common round Dublin Bay. 

 Scotland. Dalmeny, Linlithgowshire. 



Distribution — Hebrides (Claparede). 



Genus LXTMBRICILLUS. 



Great stress has been laid recently, especially by Ude, on the importance 

 of the copulatory glands as a specific character in this genus and the preceding 

 one. I have found great variation in this character. In some cases individuals 

 have shown well-developed glands, whilst in others from the same locality they 

 were either small, absent, or in different segments. Ditlevsen (9. p. 433) has 

 also thrown doubt on the value of this character. It has been used most 

 frequently in the examination of preserved material. 



The sperm- funnel is also a very variable organ in this genus. It is very 

 contractile, and varies greatly in its relative proportions, according to the 

 amount of tension on it. Specific determinations, therefore, which rely on 

 these two characters, must be regarded with suspicion, especially when 

 preserved material has been used. 



Johnston (" Catalogue of Non-Parasitic Worms," p. 66) records a species 

 under the name of Sojnnris lineata (Mtlll.). Michaelsen (21. p. 80) doubtfully 

 refers it to Lumbricillus lineatus (Miill.) or L. verrucosus (Clap.). The only 

 character of any specific value that Johnston gives is that there are 2-4 



