47 G 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
by means of the section method. The efferent apparatus, while con- 
structed on the Lumbriculid plan, has prostates which suggest those of 
the Tubificidse more than those of other Lumbriculid ee. The anterior 
pair of funnels and the vasa deferentia are so reduced as to suggest a 
commencing disappearance; were they absent, the structure of the 
reproductive organs would be those of the Tubificidae. Mr. Beddard 
suggests that Dr. Eisen has overlooked the testes, and has mistaken for 
them peculiar bodies that may be compared with the “ septal sacs ” of 
many Perichaetidae and of Acanthodrilus. A number of segments have 
no nephridia. 
New Moniligaster.* — Dr. W. B. Benham describes a new species of 
Monilig aster (M. indicus ) from the Nilgiris, which agrees with none of 
Prof. Bourne’s species in the few characters given by him. The author 
takes the opportunity of remarking that the position of the various 
genital pores in Moniligaster were wrongly given by him in his “ Attempt 
to classify Earthworms.” As various recent writers have pointed out, 
this octochaetous meganephric genus has the male pores between somites 
x. and xi., a single pair of spermathecal pores between somites vii. and 
viii., a pair of oviducal pores between somites xi. andxii., and the nephri- 
diopores in line with the dorsal couple of chastae. He also points out 
the distinctive internal characters of the genus, and, after indicating 
briefly seven diagnostic points in M. indicus , gives a detailed account of 
its anatomy. 
Notes on Hirudinea.f — Dr. R. Blanchard has a notice of Theromyzon 
pallens described by Philippi in 1867, which he suggests is merely 
Glossijplionia bipunctata. The Hirudo Nais of Grube is shown J to be the 
representative of a new genus which may be called Mesobdella , as it 
unites the characters of the Glossiphoniidae with those of the Hirudinidae. 
Some notes are given § on variations in the constitution of the somite of 
Leeches ; in some cases there is a tendency to the multiplication of 
rings, which appears to be most extreme in the case of Lumbricobdella 
scliaejferi Kennel which has 262 rings. 
In his tenth note || Dr. Blanchard makes some observations on the 
Hirudinea of northern Europe ; this group is very rare in boreal regions, 
and he enumerates only five : — Esemopis sanguisuga , Glossiphonia biocu- 
lata , G. sexoculata, Placobdella Eaboti, and P. Guernei ; the last two are 
new species, and belong to a new genus, which, with a close resemblance 
to Esementaria , is distinguished by the absence of a deep transverse 
groove from the ventral surface of all the rings. The new genus has 
also some affinities with Glossiplionia, which it brings into closer alliance 
with Esementaria. In this same new genus ^ Dr. Blanchard places the 
Glossiphonia catenig era of Moquin-Tandon, and the Clepsine carinata** 
of Diesing, of both of which he gives full descriptions. 
* Quart. Journ. Micr. Sci., xxxiv. (1893) pp. 361-82 (1 pi.), 
f Bull. Soc. Zool. France, xviii. (1893) pp. 14-6. 
j Tom. cit., pp. 26-9 (4 tigs.). § Tom. cit., pp. 30-5 (4 figs.). 
|| Tom. cit., pp. 92-8 (5 figs.). Tom. cit., pp. 98-104 (5 figs.). 
** Tom. cit., pp. 104-8 (2 figs.). 
