No. 418.] NOTES AND LITERATURE. 865 
lately established genus Balanta has had to give way to the all- 
engulfing Dichogaster. A division into subgenera retaining such 
names as Benhamia, Balanta, and Dichogaster would probably have 
been more in accordance to the ideas of several other investigators, 
and would have served to give a better review of this genus — we 
confess one of the most puzzling in the class. Under Ocnerodrilinz 
we now meet with the genus Kerria, the structure of which is the 
one that gave the clue to the relationship of these genera with 
one and two pairs of prostates. Several of the subgenera under 
Ocnerodrilus have been raised to independent genera. We have 
thus Nematogenia, Pymeodrilus, and Ocnerodrilus side by side. 
Nematogenia panamensis has been raised to an independent species. 
Among the subgenera Enicmodrilus has been fused with Ilyogenia. 
It would have been an improvement if the species followed each 
other in the general text in the same manner as in the key, or vice 
versa: this is rarely the case. The name Geoscolecide has been 
changed to Glossoscolecidz, the latter being an older name. 
The last family, Lumbricide, has more of a negative interest to 
students in this country, as comparatively few indigenous species are 
found here. While it is true that several species of this family have 
been described as new from North America, it is doubtful if they 
really are indigenous, and we may find that the species so considered 
are mere importations. This fact is certain, that no new Lumbricidz 
have been found west of the Rocky Mountains. All the species on 
the Pacific coast are undoubtedly importations from Europe, and a 
very careful search by the reviewer has failed to reveal a single new 
species of this family between Alaska and Central America. This 
is the more interesting as the Pacific coast is in many respects 
related to Japan and eastern Asia. Thus Pillsbury has shown that 
the dart-bearing Helices are only found on the Pacific coast of 
North America, while they-are widely distributed through the conti- 
nents of Europe and Asia. Similarly among the Crustacea um 
genus Astacus is found all along the Pacific coast, and in Asia and 
Europe, while the genus Cambarus is found only in central sg 
eastern North America. Among plants also there is a similarity 
between the Pacific coast and Japanese forms. But when we come 
to the earthworms the conditions are different. As far as — 
not a single species is found common to Japan or Asia and io 
Pacific coast. The indigenous California species seem er d 
from south of the 
equator and to genera which with good reason may pe conem m 
