Southern — Monograph of the British and Irish Oligochceta. 1 63 



June, July, October-December. 



Habitat — Ireland. Co. Kerry (Glencar ; Carrantuohal) ; Co. Dublin 

 (Lambay) ; Co. Wicklow (Bray Head). 

 Wales. Merionethshire (Barmouth). 

 Distribution — Switzerland. 



Fridericia lobifera (Vejd.). 



1879. Enchytrceus lohifer, Vejdovsky in Mon. der Enchytrseiden, p. 57. 



The specimens I received agreed closely with the description and figures 

 given by Vejdovsky (torn. cit.). There were three pairs of large copulatory 

 glands in the 13th, 14th, and 15 th segments. The dorsal vessel rises in the 

 19th or 20th segment. The sperm-funnel is about twice as long as broad. 

 It is much broader at the mouth than at the base. The spermatheca has two 

 small unicellular glands at the base. This species appears to be very rare. 



March. 



HaMtat — In the nest of a mole at Dirleton, Scotland. 



Distribution — Bohemia ; Galicia. 



Fridericia Michaelseni Bretscher. 



? 1898. F. ulmicola^ Friend in Irish Nat., p. 195. 

 1899. F. if., Bretscher in Eev. Suisse Zool., vol. vi., p. 410. 

 1904. F. M., Ditlevsen in Zeit. f. wissen. Zool., Ixxvii., p. 437. 

 1907. F. galba, Southern in Irish Nat., vol. xvi., p. 76. 



This is one of the most prevalent British species of the Enchytrffiidse. It 

 is very common in soil, manure, under stones, &c. I have previously recorded 

 this species as F. galba (torn, cit.), and am inclined to think that all previous 

 British records of F. galba belong to this species. I have not yet found 

 undoubted representatives of the latter species. The two forms are very 

 similar, but F. Michaelseni is distinguished apparently from the other species 

 by slight differences in the structure of the brain and nephridia. The British 

 specimens agree with the Danish ones (Ditlevsen, tom. cit.) in having no 

 gland at the distal end of the spermathecal duct, such as Bretscher describes 

 in the Swiss specimens. The funnel is 4-7 times as long as broad ; setae 

 6-7 in a bundle. The cuticle have several rows of dark glands in each 

 segment. 



The description of F. idniicola Friend (tom. cit.) is too vague to stand. 

 The possession of three diverticula to the spermatheca would not constitute 

 a specific distinction, as F. Michaelseni often shows this character. 



Mature throughout the year. 



