HA R D WICKE ' S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



3 1 



graph. It is as full as the latest edition of the 

 " Micrographic Dictionary," besides being guide, 

 philosopher, and friend through the perplexing maze 

 of modem microscopic research. No microscopist 

 who can afford it, will be without this great work. 

 We may add that the English edition is conscien- 

 tiously, well, and effectively done, the translator 

 being a Fellow both of the Royal Microscopical, and 

 Geological Societies. 



The Apodidce, a Morphological Study. By H. M. 

 Bernard (London : Macmillan). It is sufficient to 

 indicate that this neatly got-up volume is the last 

 issued of the well-known "Nature Series." It is a 

 careful and conscientious study of one insignificant 

 type-animal, but belonging to a group of high pake- 

 ontological and biological interest, more especially as 

 regards the phylogeny of its tribe. Mr. Bernard's 

 book should be carefully studied (not read) by all 

 earnest biological students. It is essentially a book 

 ' for the study and the laboratory. 



Man and the Glacial Period, by Dr. G. F. Wright, 

 with an Appendix on Tertiary Man, by Prof. H. W. 

 Haynes (London : Kegan Paul). This is the latest 

 addition to the now deservedly famous " Inter- 

 national Scientific Library Series," among which, if 

 it does not rank as the greatest, it takes a good place 

 in interest and novelty. We commend it to our 

 clerical readers, for although its American author is a 

 D.D., he is in no terror of the antiquity of man. The 

 work is prefixed by a folded, admirably drawn-up 

 " Contour and Glacial Map of the British Isles." 

 In addition to other maps, it contains upwards of 100 

 illustrations. Dr. Wright's book is especially valu- 

 able to English geologists, inasmuch as, whilst it 

 apprehends and comprehends all the glacial work 

 done by them on this side the globe, it presents them 

 with the clearest arrangement of similar knowledge 

 (only on a large scale) done and published by our 

 American confreres. We especially commend this 

 work to the geological readers of Science-Gossip. 



A CHECK-LIST OF BRITISH EARTH- 

 WORMS. 



By the Rev. Hilderic Friend, F.L.S., Author 

 of " Flowers and Flower-Lore." 



THE past year has been the most fruitful on 

 record in its bearings on the number and 

 distribution of our indigenous terrestrial annelids. 

 Hitherto no list has been prepared, by means of which 

 collectors could check their local species, and the 

 time seems to have arrived, when such a catalogue 

 should be drawn up for future reference. Several 

 ends 1 will thereby be secured. We shall see, in the 

 first place, exactly how many British species were 

 known to science when the year 1892 closed its 

 record of research. We shall have a clue to the 

 distribution of the species. A guide will be afforded 



to collectors who wish to identify their captures ; and 

 finally, a list will be provided for checking the same 

 when found in any given locality. 



Our earth-worms fall under four genera, and 

 number at present twenty-five species. This is not a 

 mean record when we remember that Darwin 

 assumed the British species not to exceed eight or 

 ten. I shall give a brief outline of each genus, then 

 the names of the species, with the number of the 

 girdle and band-segments, and their known dis- 

 tribution in counties. Geographically, I shall work 

 from the south to the north. The figures in the 

 form of a fraction after each species denote the 

 number of the segments embraced by the girdle in 

 the normally developed worm, and the number of 

 the girdle segments on which the tubercula pubertatis, 

 i.e., the clitellar papillae or bands, are situated. 



Thus ^ — — would signify that the girdle covered 

 26 : 27 s 3 fa 



the 24th to the 31st segments, two of which, viz., the 



26th and 27th, carry the papillae or bands in the 



adult stage. 



I. — Genus Lumbricus. 



Lip forming with the first ring a perfect mortise 

 and tenon. Girdle of five or six segments, the 

 innermost four of which carry a band on each side. 

 Setae, eight on each segment, disposed in four 

 couples ; the individuals near together. Male pores 

 on the 15th segment, with or without papillae. 

 Colour dark red or brown with iridescence. Cylin- 

 drical in front, tail flattened. Exude slime when 

 irritated, but no turbid liquid. Five species at 

 present known in the British Isles. 



1. L. TERRESTRIS, Linn., 3— — ?|. Distribution. 



33—36 



— Sark, Sussex, Kent, Middlesex, Surrey, Essex, 

 Norfolk, Wiltshire, Somersetshire, Devonshire, 

 Gloucestershire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, 

 Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Hertfordshire, 

 Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire, Montgomery, N. 

 Wales, Lancashire, Westmorland, Cumberland, 

 Northumberland, Dumfries, Lanarkshire, Dublin, 

 Down, Kerry, Donegal. These records I can vouch 

 for as the result of personal study. 



27 — 32 



2. L. rubellus, Hoffm., -~ — - ■ Distribution. — 



28— 31 



Same as No. r. 



28 — 33 



3. L. purpureus, Eisen, — . Distribution. — ■ 



29— 32 



Same as No. 1. 



4. L. RUBESCENS, Friend, ^— — . Distribution. 

 * 35—38 



— Sussex, Kent, Middlesex, Norfolk, Gloucester 

 shire, Yorkshire, Lanarkshire, Down, Dublin, Wick- 

 low, Donegal. 



5. L. papillosus, Friend, — 52. Distribution. 

 3 34—37 



— Dublin. [On the Continent L. Melibceus, Rosa, 



