60 BRITISH ANNELIDS.
POSTSCRIPT.
The following section came to hand after the first two pages of
this paper had been printed, in the March number of the Essex
Naturalist. The numbers on page 47 (ante) should, of course, be
increased by one—the present paper adding thirty-four to the
published well-sections, bringing up the total to 277.
Ashdon. New House Farm. 1891.
Made and communicated by Mr. G. Ingold.
Water-level 54 feet down.
BRITISH ANNELIDS.
WITH ESPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE EARTHWORMS OF ESSEX.
By REV. HILDERIC FRIEND, F.L.S.
(Continued from page 33.)
TWENTY years ago every earthworm was known by the general
name of "Lumbricus." Eisen carefully analysed the group in
1873, and referred our European species to three or four different
genera. He was not altogether consistent with his own rules, and
failed accurately to determine the relative position of some of his
species; but we are, nevertheless, indebted to him for reducing the
former chaos to something like order. It follows to-day that there
are probably not more than half a dozen species of the genus
Lumbricus, as now defined, throughout the whole of Europe. Four
of these are British, and three are found in Essex. There is every
reason to hope that the fourth may be found in that county this year,
seeing that it has been discovered in Middlesex, Kent, and Sussex.
The fourth species is new to science, having been added to the
British list last year through my researches into the worm-fauna of
Yorkshire.
It is my purpose in this paper to deal solely with the modified
genus Lumbricus, and in so doing I shall describe the three species
indigenous to Essex. I have to thank Mr. W. Allen, of Canning
Town, for a constant succession of fresh consignments, with valuable
data respecting habitat and other important factors; and I am in-