1900.] NEW SPECIES OF EARTHWORM. 657 



also thickened. The next septum is thin and delicate, but curved 

 forwards like those in front. After this the septa are all thin but 

 run straight across the body-cavity. A few strands of muscle bind 

 together some of the thickened septa, but they are not very strongly 

 marked. 



The alimentary canal is, as in other BenJiamiaz, furnished with 

 two gizzards. The last of these undoubtedly lies in the sixth seg- 

 ment. The first appears to occupy the fourth segment, two septa 

 intervening between the two gizzards. The gizzards, which are 

 very stout, are pushed back and really overlie and absolutely con- 

 ceal the spermathecse. Hence the crowding of the septa which 

 immediately follow them. There seems in fact to be more inde- 

 pendence between the position of the septa and the intersegmental 

 furrows than is usually the case. The calciferous glands lie in a 

 position which they do not invariably occupy in this genus, i. e. in 

 segments xiv., xv., xvi. They are of a bronzy yellow colour. The 

 intestine does not assume its greatest width until segment xxi. I 

 could find no intestinal caeca such as are sometimes present in the 

 species of this genus. There is a typhlosole in the anterior part 

 of the gut but not posteriorly. 



Besides a difference in position, that is to say of the segments 

 occupied by these glands, the calciferous pouches differ in certain 

 other points of structure among the species of this large genus. 

 In the present species the surface of the glands is fairly smooth ; 

 the furrowing, seen to so marked a degree for example in Benhamia 

 ccecifera, being practically absent. In transverse sections of the 

 glands they are seen to be somewhat bean-shaped, with a hilum 

 where the duct leaves the gland. On the opposite side there is but 

 one distinct furrow not far from the lower end of the gland, i. e. 

 that side which is nearest to the oesophagus. The three glands 

 open into the oesophagus by only a single duct on each side. This 

 duct is of considerable calibre, and is ciliated like the oesophagus ; 

 it has also muscular walls and is formed of three branches, one 

 from each gland. The glands lie dorsally to the oesophagus for the 

 greater part. 



The nephridia of all species of Benhamia are of the " diffuse," 

 "plectonephric," or "micronephric " type. Very generally in the 

 description of species this statement has been made without any 

 further additions. In others (as for instance B. octonephra) the 

 more exact arrangement of the nephridial tufts has been noted and 

 has afforded systematic characters. In the present species, there 

 are 10 or 12 nephridial tufts on either side of the nerve-cord, 

 which are rather more conspicuous from the 27th segment or so 

 backwards than they are anteriorly. This is often the case with 

 earthworms, and seems to be due to the peritoneal covering. The 

 micronephridia of this species have a curiously squarish outline. 



As to the vascular system, 1 have only to observe that the dorsal 

 vessel is single throughout its course and that the last pair of hearts 

 are in segment xiii. 



Reproductive Organs. The sperm-sacs are large and rather 



