176 Memoirs of the Indian Museum. [Voi,. I, 



of the spermathecse. As I have stated before,^ the appearance of the diverticulum is 

 very different in different states of the spermathecse. If the ampulla of the latter is 

 filled with secretory masses, the diverticulum appears to be reduced to one or more 

 wart-like protuberances ; if the ampulla is empty or partly filled, the diverticulum 

 projects more distinctly as a separated hump. There may be, however, in the shape 

 of the diverticulum some real variation besides. 



All these different specimens agree in the very characteristic shape of the penial 

 setae, and as the principal differences are connected by intermediate conditions, we 

 may unite all these forms in the one somewhat variable species P. excavatus. 



In this species I also include the P. intermedius , BBDD., from Sibpur near Calcutta, 

 I can see no important difference between this species and P. excavatus. Unfortunately 

 thç penial setae were broken off in BEDDARD's type specimen {I.e., p. 688). We 

 therefore may presume that BEDDARD's statement: "there are no specially 

 modified setae in the neighbourhood of the male pores" {I.e., p. 688, some lines further 

 down) is a mistake. BEDDARD found oiily one seta at each side iti the male area. 

 But this may be declared as of minor importance, the number of penial setae being 

 variable in P. excavatus. Furthermore, we are not sure whether there was really only 

 one at each side ; other penial setae may have fallen out or been retracted in the copu- 

 latory act. I may add that I myself was enabled to examine some specimens collected 

 in the same locality (Royal Botanical Garden at Sibpur) by the same collector (Dr. 

 KING) which were in all probability topotypes of P. intermedius. These specimens, 

 which partly agreed with BEDDARD's specimens in the stouter build, were true 

 P. excavatus, with the characteristic penial setae. 



A great collection of worms from Bhim Tal in Kumaon contains only immature 

 specimens of a Perionyx with nephridial pores in one line at each side of the body. 

 Probably they belong to P. excavatus. Dr. ANNANDAI^E makes the following 

 Temarks about the mode of living of these worms : ' ' This worm lives chiefly in ac- 

 cumulations of dead leaves and rain water formed in the hollows of trees. Enormous 

 numbers of individuals are often present in one such hollow. They remain with the 

 anterior part of the body out of the water and pressed against the side of the hollow 

 or some object on the surface and with the remainder of the body in the water, into 

 which they sink entirely when alarmed. At night and in wet weather they make 

 their way from tree to tree." 



Perionyx himai.ayanus, Michxsn. 

 (Plate xiii, figs. 16, 17.) 

 P. h., MICHAEI,SEN, in Mt. Mus. Hamburg, xxiv, p. 158. 

 Present two mature specimens. 



I W. MICHAEI/SEN, Oligochseten von Madagaskar, den Comoren und anderen Inseln des westli- 

 chen Indischen Ozans ; in VOELTZKOW, Reise in Ostafrika in den Jahren 1903— 1905, Stuttgart, 1907, 

 bd. ii,p. 43. 



