I. On the Anatomy of Megascolides australis, the Giant Earth-worm of Gippsland. 
By W. Bapwin Spencmr, B.A., Professor of Biology in the University of Melbourne. 
[Pirates 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.] 
HIstToRICAL. 
Tue first figure and description of this, which is probably the largest earth-worm 
yet known, were those given by Professor McCoy,* to whom it had been sent 
from Gippsland. ‘This description is unfortunately incorrect, the worm being placed 
in a wrong family, and the first correct one is that given by Mr. Fusrcuer, in 
his “ Notes on Australian Earth-worms.”t To this author we are indebted for a 
large series of careful studies, so far as their macroscopic anatomy is concerned, 
of Australian Earth-worms. 
In November 1887, this paper, on the anatomy of Megascolides australis, 
was read in abstract before the Royal Society of Victoria; I was unaware at 
that time that Mr. Fiutcumr had in September, two months previously, described 
its macroscopic anatomy, and our work was carried on quite independently. 
Before this Mr, Firrcumr had described two species of HEarth-worms, which 
he placed in a new genus, Notoscolex, and in the paper which contains his 
description of the worm with which we are now dealing, the latter is described 
as Notoscolex gippslandicus; at the same time Mr. Fiercuer described two other 
new species belonging to the same genus, viz, NV. tasmanicus and N. tuberculatus. { 
It is unfortunate, masmuch as we owe our knowledge of this very interesting 
genus almost entirely to Mr. Frzrcusr, that from reasons of priority his name 
of Notoscolex must give way to that of Megascolides, the name first given to the 
type of the genus which now includes five species. 
The characters of the genus, as given by Mr. Fiercumr, are as follows:— 
Megascolides McCoy (Notoscolex Fietcumr). 
Intra-clitelian worms, with clitellum, comprismg some or all of segments 
XITI.—XXITI.; male pores two, on segment XVIII, on papille, in a line with 
* Prodromus to the Zoology of Victoria. Dec. 1, pl. 7. 
+ Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., 28th Sept., 1887. See also the same author's series of ‘“‘ Notes on 
Australian Earth-worms” in the same journal. 
t WV. camdenensis and NV. grandis. See Proc. Linn. Soc., N.S.W., 30th June, 1886, pl. VIII, pages 1-6. 
B 2 
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