110 BRITISH ANNELIDS.
this genus in order, beginning with those which have the closest
affinities with the old mother-genus. This is the more desirable,
because up till the present time more than one of these lumbricoid
species have been confused with the true earthworm, resulting in
the greatest possible chaos in worm nomenclature. There are, in
the European fauna, something like a dozen species of Allolobophora,
which fall more or less naturally into our first section, which I term
Lumbricoidea, on account of their resemblance to Lumbricus. In
this country, however, the species have been so neglected that I
doubt whether more than three or four have ever been identified ;
though I believe we shall discover two or three more when the work
has been more thoroughly and systematically prosecuted.
Allolobophora: §i, Lumbricoidea.
The type of this section is the Long Worm (Allolobophora longa,
Ude). Although the species is even more ubiquitous than the common
earthworm, and has been known to the angler for ages past as the
black-head, this worm was only recognised as a distinct species six years
ago, when Ude described it in the "Zeitschrift fur Wissenschaftliche
Zoologie" (1886, vol. xliii., p. 136), from specimens found in rich
garden soil at Gottingen. I believe it had not been recognised in
England until two years ago, when I found it near Carlisle, although
Mr. Beddard tells me he has generally employed it as the type for
class work in his biological lectures ! I now find it in every part of
the country. A very fine consignment reached me some time ago
from Mr. Allen, of Canning Town, who says that having heard that
worms as long as young snakes were to be found on enclosed ground
adjoining Canning Town Pumping Station, he made application to
the resident engineer for permission to visit the spot. That gentle-
man generously placed a man at Mr. Allen's disposal with spade
and other requisites, and thus enabled him to send 1113 a very
typical supply of materials. One portion of the ground, which is
always damp, swarmed with this species, to the exclusion of all
others—even the typical earthworm. I have received it from the
borders of Epping Forest and elsewhere, and shall hope to give
details of distribution in a special paper after the various species
have been described.
The Long Worm is rightly so named. It is usually about six
inches in length, but varies a great deal both in size and colour, and