president’s ADDRESS SECTION D. 
Ill 
Orchestia sylvicola (Dana), of New Zealand, are common examples. 
In the latter group we have the very common Australasian wood- 
louse, Porcellio granigev (White), found both iu Australia and New 
Zealand, and especially abundant in gardens, while various other 
forms are also to be met with belonging to the genera Oniscus, 
Arinadillidimn , and Ouharis. 
Very little indeed appears to be known of the Australian 
cryptozoic Crustacea, however. Mr. Or. M. Thomson, of Dunedin, to 
whose kindness 1 am indebted for the identification of the few species 
which 1 have myself collected, is working at the group, and we may 
soon expect a rapid advance in this direction. It is to be hoped that 
some attention will also be paid to the habits of these animals. It is 
a singular fact that, as pointed out by Semper in his work on “ Animal 
Life,” these small Crustacea, with practically identical anatomical 
structure, should adopt both marine and terrestrial inodes of life. 
The remarkable burrowing crayfish of Australia ( Engceus ) can 
hardly be considered as a Cryptozoic animal, but occupies much the 
same position with regard to habitat as do the earthworms. 
OLIGOCPLETA. 
Owing principally to the extensive researches of Messrs. Bcddard 
and Fletcher and Professor Spencer, a large number of Australian 
species of earthworms have been described. It is, however, doubtful 
how far any of these numerous species can he considered as normally 
cryptozoic in habit, unless the use of that term be extended to all 
burrowing animals. That earthworms are commonly met with beneath 
rotten logs in Australia and New Zealand is a fact well known to 
every collector, but it remains to be shown that the same species do 
not also burrow in open ground in the ordinary manner. Mr. 
Fletcher is doubtless correct in attributing the frequent occurrence of 
earthworms under logs and stones to the fact that such situations 
retain moisture louger ;* but at the same time it is very likely that 
some species may occur exclusively under or in rotten logs, being 
attracted thither by the food supply afforded by the decaying wood. 
Several Australian species have, I believe, as yet been found only in 
such situations; as, for example, a species of Fetich w-ta, described by 
Professor Spencer, t which 1 found in rotten wood at Healesville, 
Victoria. 
NEMERTINEA. 
The Land Nemertines are amongst the rarest of terrestrial animals, 
and everything known about them points to a comparatively very 
recent derivation from marine ancestors. Professor Semper, indeed, 
states that they show not the smallest difference from their nearest 
allies living in water.* Only six species of Land Nemertines are as yet 
known to science. The first was found by Professor Semper in the 
Pelew Islands, and described under the name Oeonemertes palaensis. 
Another was discovered, on the “Challenger” Expedition, Jiving in 
* “ Notes on Australian Earthworms, 
[Ser. 2], p. 525, 
f “ Preliminary Notice of Victorian 
Victoria, for 1802, p. 12. 
t “ Animal Life,” p. 188. 
” part i. — Proc. Linn, Soc. N.S.W., vol. i. 
Earthworms,” part ii. — Pi oc. Royal Soc. 
