204 The American Naturalist. [March, 
“hearts” are present in X-XIII, the posterior ones being the 
largest. 
Testes and large conspicuous spermiducal funnels are pres- 
ent in X and XI, sperm sacs in XI and XII, ovaries in XII 
and spermathece in VIII and IX. The sperm ducts of either 
side unite in XVI to form acommon duct, The pair of spermi- 
ducal glands isin XVIII. They are tubular and much con- 
torted and form flattened masses of considerable size. The 
terminal part forms a muscular duct which opens to the exte- 
rior laterad of the penial sete, though in the same pore. The 
common sperm duct of either side unites with the spermidu- 
cal gland of its own side at the proximal part of the muscular 
duct. 
Three species of earthworms quite closely allied to M. amer- 
icanus have been described from the Pacific Coast region by 
Eisen and by Benham under the generic names Argilophilus 
and Plutellus, which have since been included by Beddard in 
the genus Megascolides; but the great majority of the nearly 
related worms are found in the Australian region. M. amer- 
icanus differs from its North American relatives in the pres- 
ence of numerous smali nephridia in each somite instead of 
two large ones, in the extent of the clitellum and in several 
other characters. 
Our knowledge of the proper classification of species included 
by different writers in the genera Megascolides, Cryptodrilus, 
Argilophilus and Plutellus is at present in a very unsatis- 
factory state, but the species described above is quite certainly 
a Megascolides. Unrv. or ILLINoIs, Fes. 25, 1897. 
BIRDS OF NEW GUINEA. 
By Gero. S. Mean. 
(Continued from Vol. XXX, page 710.) 
Merops ornatus—-the Variegated Bee-eater, according to Dr. 
Bennett the harbinger of spring in Australia, is abundant in 
New Guinea where it is sometimes seen in enormous flocks or 
succession of flocks, flying easily but not ceaselessly as if on mi- 
