(453) 



EARTHWORM STUDIES. 



By the Rev. Hilderic Friend. 

 Author of 'Flowers and Flower-Lore.' 



IV. A Check-List of British Earthworms. 



Some years ago I drew up a provisional list of the different 

 species of Earthworms which were then known to exist in the 

 British Isles, and published the same in * The Naturalist ' for 

 January, 1893. Since then Rosa's * Revisione de Lumbricidi,' 

 Beddard's ' Monograph of the Oligochseta,' Ribaucourt's ' Faune 

 Lombricide de la Suisse,' together with a long series of pamphlets 

 and memoranda, have appeared ; in addition to my own special 

 reports on the Earthworm fauna of Ireland, England, Normandy, 

 and other parts. It therefore seems desirable that we should 

 summarize our present knowledge for the guidance of collectors 

 at home and students abroad. In this paper I shall place on 

 record all the species and varieties which have come under 

 observation up till the present time, so that we may see in the 

 first place exactly what British species were known to science in 

 this memorable Jubilee year, and at the same time afford a guide 

 to collectors in the identifying of their captures. 



In most cases I have, for the sake of convenience, followed 

 Beddard's * Monograph,' although I cannot in every instance 

 endorse his conclusions. He has absorbed some good species 

 which I have preferred to keep distinct, but in the present state 

 of our knowledge such little differences are inevitable. Although 

 I have given up the specific use of the term Dendrobcena, I 

 believe the day is coming when the large genus Allolobophora 

 will be divided into sections, of which Dendrobcena will be one. 

 Dr. Ribaucourt, indeed, has submitted a synopsis on these lines, 

 which Rosa and others have also from time to time considered 

 and half adopted. 



Our indigenous Earthworms fall under three genera, and 

 number at present twenty-three species, besides a few subspecies 



Zool. 4th ser. vol. L t October, 1897. 2 I 



