igoS.] W. MiCHAELSEN : Oligochœta of the Indian Empire and Ceylon. 191 



Nephridial system micronephric. 



Anterior male organs very peculiarly developed. There are seven pairs 

 of testes, attached to the posterior surface of septa 4-5 — lo-ii, i.e., in segments 

 5 — II, somewhat above the ventral margin of the septa. Corresponding with these 

 there are seven pairs of rather large, much folded and lobed sperm-duct-funnels in 

 the same segments, but attached to the anterior surface of septa 5-6 — 11-12, the 

 latter being pierced by the relatively thick sperm-ducts. The special sperm-ducts of 

 two consecutive funnels join directly behind the septum of the hinder one, but the 

 lumina of these special ducts remain separate for a while, uniting only just before the 

 approach of the second special sperm-duct. The five anterior pairs of testes and 

 sperm-duct-funnels lie free in their segments ; the two posterior pairs in the loth 

 and nth segments, the homologue of the normal mâle organs of this genus, are enclosed 

 in small testicular chambers. I could not detect sperm-sacs. This strikingly peculiar 

 organisation, — which may perhaps be in correspondence with the unusual position of 

 the prostates and their papillae, — was found in three specimens, two of which I opened 

 and dissected, whilst I made a series of sections through the third one. I must 

 therefore regard this arrangement, i.e., the presence of supernumerary testes and sperm- 

 duct-funnels, as characteristic of this species. 



Prostates: Glandular part large, occupying several segments, much incised 

 and lobed, moderately loose, nearly grape-like. Duct moderately long, describing 

 a broad loop, almost in the form of an S ; the duct is somewhat thickened, distally 

 nacreous. It opens directly to the exterior ; there is no copulatory pouch. 



Penial setae missing. 



I could detect no trace of spermathecse, neither in the worms opened and 

 dissected nor in sections. 



Hab. — Bengal, Sibpur near Calcutta, Botanical Gardens ; Dr. KING leg. 

 (Mus. Berlin). 



PHERETIMA OSMASTONI, MICHI.SN. 



(Plate xiii, fig. 26.) ' 



Ph. 0., MICHAELSEN, in Mt. Mus. Hamburg, xxiv, p. 163, f. 11. 

 Present eight mature specimens. 



External Characters. — Dimensions : Length 250 — 3 20 mm., maximum thick- 

 ness ID — II mni., number of segments 126 — 148. 



Colour : Dorsally violet-grey, darker and with bluish or greenish tints at the 

 ends, iridescent. Ventrally yellowish grey. 



Head epilobous (about ^). Dorsal hinder appendix of prostomium nearly as 

 broad as the prostomium, open behind. 



Setae somewhat enlarged in the anteclitellar part and at the hinder half of the 

 body, especially in the dorsal parts of the circles. In general the dorsal setae are 

 somewhat larger and further apart than the ventral setae of the same segment. 

 Circles of setae complete or irregularly interrupted in the median ventral line, regularly 



