342 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Let us begin with those species which are most familiar — 

 the species of true Lumbricus—ol which four are found in 

 England and a fifth in Ireland. They are known by their 

 ruddy-brown colour, the girdle extending over six segments, with 

 a band on the under surface of the inner four, and by the shape 

 of the head. Three of these, all common, have been found in 

 Oxford Gardens — the true Earthworm (L. terrestris), the Eed 

 Worm (L. rubellus), and the Purple Worm (L. castaneus). The 

 genus Allolobophora is a large one, and has of recent years been 

 divided into several subgenera. We find here the Long Worm 

 (A. longa), which was formerly always confused with the true 

 Earthworm; the Turgid Worm (A. turgida), with papillae on 

 segments 31 and 33 ; and the Brandling (Eiseniafoetida), which 

 is always to be found in manure-heaps, is known by its alternate 

 brown and yellow stripes, and is greatly in request among 

 anglers. Its near relative, the Rosy or Mucous Worm (E. rosea), 

 is also present, with the very common Green Worm (A. chloro- 

 tica), which is very sluggish, and gives off, like the Brandling, a 

 large quantity of turbid fluid when irritated. 



All the foregoing are to be found universally distributed in 

 this country, and are invariably of value to the gardener. 

 Possibly an exception might at times be made in reference to 

 the Green Worm, which has been accused of damaging crops, 

 but I believe it has never been shown to injure plants until they 

 showed signs of unhealthiness or decay. Among the less fre- 

 quent forms, I found at Oxford the pretty Celtic Worm (Dendro- 

 bcena mammalis) in fair numbers. It is not so much a denizen 

 of the garden as of the rough places which are usually to be 

 found on the outskirts, where rubbish, old potting material, 

 refuse of various kinds, road -scrapings, arid other forms of 

 debris accumulate. It is not so common as the Gilt-tail (D. sub- 

 rubicunda), which is usually very profuse in old leaf-mould, and 

 is a very valuable aid to the gardener. The Oxford Gardens 

 have yielded me, in addition to the above, several other Lumbri- 

 cidce more or less rare. There are, for example, two steel-blue 

 worms with yellow tails and clay-coloured girdles, known as 

 Octolasium. One of these (0. cyaneum) has the girdle on seg- 

 ments 29 to 34, while the other (0. lacteum) has it one segment 

 further back. Related to these is another species (0. inter- 



