508 OLIGOCHAETA 



The appearance of this worm during life was something like that of a Lumbriculid ; 

 it was extraordinarily long and thin, and fairly, active in its movements. The large 

 ventral setae can be easily felt when the worm is handled ; under those circumstances 

 it adheres to the finger by the setae. Its superficial resemblances to Megachaeta 

 appear, from Miohaelsen's description of the latter, to be not inconsiderable. Judged 

 by external characters it would be very probably referred to that genus. 



It has a milky-white appearance owing to the presence of a great quantity of 

 coelomic corpuscles. 



The ventral setae, though so much larger than the lateral, are not themselves 

 equisized ; the innermost of the two is distinctly larger than the outermost setae of 

 the pair. The nephridia, which seem to commence in the sixth segment and open in 

 front of the lateral setae, are covered with an abundant coating of peritoneal cells. 

 The intersegmental septa are very much more extensive than is the diameter of the 

 body ; hence it results that they are placed within each other like a series of very 

 deep cups, a common arrangement among worms but rather exaggerated here. 



(a) Gordiodrilus robustus, Bbddard. 

 Gr. robustus, Beddaed, loc. cit., p. 8'j. 



Definition. Length, about 33 mm.; number of segments, 90. Setae of segments F-VII 

 larger ; ventral setae of segments XII and XIII very large, present on genital segments. 

 Clitellum, XIII-XVII, saddle-shaped. Spermiducal gland pores upon XVII, XVIII ; 

 male pores upon XVIII. Gizzard in segment VIII ; caloiferous glands paired. Septa 

 sepjarating segments 7/VIII, much thickened, those between VIIIJXII slightly thickened. 

 Spermathecae in VII, VIII ; duct long and slander. Sab. — Lagos. 

 This species is furthermore marked by an oval median papillae upon segment xix. 



The spermathecae have thin walls and were found to be much crumpled ia sections. 



(3) Gordiodrilus elegans, Beddard. 

 Gr. elegans, Beddaed, loc. cit., p. 84. 



Definition. Length, about 40 mm. Setae of ventral pairs absent on segments XVIII, XIX. 

 Clitellum, XIII—XVIII, saddle-shaped. Spermiducal pores on XVIII, XIX ; male pores 

 exactly between them. Septa, V/X, thickened. Sperm-sacs in IX-XII. Spermxithecae 

 in VIII and IX, each with two rudimentary diverticula; the duct is short. Hob. — Lagos. 



The septal glands occupy segments v-vii. 



The nephridia of this species commence in the fourth segment ; after the fii'st few 



