THE

PROCEEDINOS

OF THE

LINNEAN SOCIETY

OF

NEW SOUTH WALES.

FOR THE YEAR

1910_

Vol. XXXV.

WITH THIRTY-ONE PLATES.

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED FOR THE SOCIETY

BY

f. CUNNING HAME & CO. LTD., 146 PITT STREET,

AND

SOLD BY THE SOCIETY. 1910-11.

F. CUNNINGHAME & CO. LTD.,

LETTERPRESS AND LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTERS,

PITT STREET, SYDNEY.

CONTENTS OF PROCEEDINGS, 1910.

PART I. (No. 137).

(Issued July Uth 1910).

PAGE Presidential Address delivered at the Thirty-fifth Annual General

Meeting, March 30th, 1910, by C. Hedley, F.L.S. (Plates i.-ii.) 1

The Slime of the Household Bath-Sponge. By R. Greig-Smith,

D.Sc, Macleay Bacteriologist to the Society ... ... ... 29

The Bacterial Flora of Rachitic Stools. By R. Greig-Smith, D.Sc,

Macleay Bacteriologist to the Society ... ... ... ... 36

Contribution to a Knowledge of Australian Hirudinea. Part v, Leech-Metamerism. By E. J. Goddard, B. A., B.Sc, Linnean Macleay Fellow of the Society in Zoology. (Plate iii.) 51

Contribution to a Knowledge of Australian Hirudinea. Part vi. The Distribution of the Hirudinea, with special Reference to Austra- lian Forms, and Remarks on their Affinities, together with Reflections on Zoogeography. By E. J. Goddard, B.A., B.Sc, Linnean Macleay Fellow of the Society in Zoology... ... ... 69

Revision of Sympetes and Heheus : with Descriptions of new Species

of Tenehrionidee [Coleoptera]. By H. J. Carter, B.A., F.E.S. ... 77

Revision of Australian Tortricina. By E. Metrick, B.A., F.R.S.,

Corresponding Member... ... .. ... ... ... 139

The Fatty Acids of Brain Lipoids. Parti. By E. C. Grey, B.Sc,

Junior Demonstrator in Physiology in the University of Sydney 295

Balance Sheet, etc ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 23

Elections and Announcements 22,27^47,135

Notes and Exhibits 27,48,136,304

27793

iV. CONTENTS.

PART II. (No. 138).

(Issued September 17th, 1910).

PAGE Atonograph of the Genus Sy«^/icmis[NEDROPTERA: Odonata], By R,

J. TiLLYAKD, M.A., F.E.S. (Plates iv.-ix.) 312

iStudies in Australian Entomology. No.xvi.New Species of Carabidce

[Coleoptera]. By Thomas G. Sloane 378

The Entomological Fauna of Nauru Island, of the Ocean Island

Group. By Walter W. Froggatt, F.L.S. 407

A new Species of Lepidosperma['N>0. Cr/jiei-aceai] from the Port Jackson District; with some miscellaneous Botanical Notes. By A. A. Hamilton 411

Discussion : the application of "Jordan's Law" to the case of the Aus- tralian fauna and flora. (Plate X.) ... ... ... 305,311,416

ilevisional Notes on Australian Oarahidce. Part iii. Tribes Oodini,

Chlceniini, and ;S'pAorfn?«'[CoLEOPTERA] .. ... ... ... 435

Polymorphism and Life-History in the Des))iidiace'v[Ai,0JE : Coti-

jugatce]. By G. I. Playfaik. (Plates xi.-xiv.) 459

The Ore Deposits of Borah Creek, New England, N. S.W. By Leo A. Cotton, B. A., B. Sc, Linnean Macleay Fellow of the Society in Geology. (Plates xv.-xvi.) 496

Elections and Announcements ... ... ... 306,430

Notes and Exhibits 307,431

PART III. (No. 139).

(Issued December 16th, 1910)

A Contribution to the Study of the Precipitins. By H. G. Chapman,

M.D.,B.S 526

Revision of Australian Lejndoptera, v. By A. J. Turner, M.D.,

F.E.S 555

Description of a fossil Lorica [Mollusca : Polyplacophora] from North-Western Tasmania. By A. F. Bas.set Hull (Plate xvii., figs. 1-2 654

CONTENTS. V.

PART III. (continued.)

PAOK

The Adventitious Roots of Melaleuca linariifolia Sm. By C. T. MussoN and W. M. Carne, Hawkesbury Agricultural College (Plates xviiixix.) ... ... ... .. ... ... ... 662

On some Experiments with Dragonfly Larvae. By R. J. Tillyard,

M.A., F.E.S 666

The Hcematozoa of Australian Reptilia. No. i. By T. Harvey Johnston, M.A., B.Sc, and J. Burton Cleland, M.D., Ch.M. (Plate XX.) ... 677

Elections and Announcements 521,656,686

Notes and Exhibits 522,657,687

PART IV. (No. 140).

{Issued March 1st, 1911).

Australian and Tasmanian PseZapAnZoy [Coleoptera], By Arthur

M. Lea, F.E.S. (Platexxi.) 691

An Additional Note on the Birds of Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands.

By Tom Iredale. {Communicated by A. F. Basset Hull) ... 773

Further Notes on the Birds of Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands. By

A. F. Basset Hull. (Plates xxii.-xxv.) 783

Notes from the Botanic Gardens, Sydney. No. 16. By J. H. Maiden

and E. Betche 788

The Permanency of the Characters of the Bacteria of the Bac. coli- group. By R. Greio-Smith, D.Sc, Maoleay Bacteriologist to the Society 806

Contributions to our Knowledge of Soil-Fertility. i.The Action of Wax-solvents and the Presence of Thermolabile Bacteriotoxins in Soil. By R. Greig-Smitu, D.Sc, Macleay Bacteriologist to the Society 808

Carabidce from Dorrigo, N. S.W. By Thomas G. Sloane 823

With an Appendix : Tenebrionidce from Dorrigo. By H. J. Carter, B.A., F.E.S. 843

Note on the Occurrence of a Limestone -Flora at Grose Vale. By

W. M. Carne 849

VI. CONTENTS.

PART IV. (continued).

On some remarkable Australian Libelhdino'. By R. J. Tillyard, M.A., F. E.S. Part iii. Further Notes on Camacinia Othello Tillyard. (Plate xvii., fig.3)

Notes on Yryxit-WiesiTrypetidtr) with Descriptions of New Species. By Walter W. Froggatx, F.L.S

Contributions to a Knowledge of the Anatomy and Development of the Marswpialia. No.!. The Genitalia of Sarcophilus satamcus{ J ). By T. Thomson Flynn, B.Sc, Lecturer in Biology, University of Tasmania. (Plates xxvi.-xxxi. "

Elections and Announcements

Notes and Exhibits ...

List of Donations and Exchanges

Title-page

Contents

List of Plates ...

List of New Generic Names

Corrigenda

Index

PAGK

859

862

...	873
686	803
687	804
...	888
	i-
...	iii.
	vii.
	viii.

vni.

LIST OF PLATES.

PROCEEDINGS, 1910. Plate I. — Full-face View of Model of the Submarine Slope off Sydney.

Plate II. — View of the same Model foreshorteued, and seen from a lower plane.

Plate III. — Diagrams showing the arrangement of the Annuli in the Genital Somite of Hirudinea.

Plates IV. -V. — Synthemis spp.(Odonata).

Plate VI. — Genus Synthemis : wing-venation.

Plate VII.— ,, „ : Appendages and Genitalia.

Plate VIII. — Figs. 1-4, Synthemk eustalacta. Fig. 5, Metathemis guttata.

Plate IX. — Labia of Nymphs of Synthemis, Metathemis, and Choristhemis.

Plate X. — Development of Inlying, Overlapping, and Isolated Pairs of

Species.

Plate XI. — Forms of Docidium <>'a6ecitto(Ehr.)[Desmidie8e].

Plate XII. — Growth of spines and processes in Z)oci(Zu<m and Staurastrum.

Plate XIII. — Forms of Gosmarium rectangulare Grun.

Plate XIV. — Illustrations of the Results of continued Cell-division.

Plate XV. — Fig.l, Borah Creek, showing how the line of lode corresponds

with the Creek, and the effects of faults. — Fig. 2, Specimens

illustrating the metasomatic replacement of quartz by

sphalerite. Plate XVI. — Portion of Conrad Lode, illustrating banding. Plate XVII. —Fig. 1, One-half valve of Lorica duniana, n.sp. — Fig. 2, One- i, half valve of L. volvox Reeve. — Fig.3, Wings of Camacinia

Othello{%) Tillyard.

Plates XVIII. -XIX. — Adventitious Hoots of Melaleuca linariifolia Sm.

Plate XX. — ^Hgematozoa of Australian Reptilia.

Plate XXI. — Australian and Tasmanian Pselaphida>[Co\eo^teT2i\.

Plate XXII. — Mounts Gower and Lidgbird, Lord Howe Island.

Plate XXIII. — The Lower Road, Mount Gower : a breeding-place of

Oestrelata. Plate XXIV. — Oestralata montana, n.sp.: adult at entrance of burrow.

Plsite XXV, — Oestrelata montana, n.sp.; nestling placed above entrance of burrow.

Plate XXVI. —Genitalia and pouch-young of SarcojMlus satanicus[MsiVS,\x- pialia].

Plates XXVII. -XXXI. — Sections of the genitalia of Sarcophilus satanicas.

CORRIGENDA.

Plate ii. is incorrectly lettered PI. i.

Page 195, line 34— for Dirhelia dipfhcroides, read Diche/ia cNphtheroides.

Page 312, line 4— for (Plates iv. -viii.) read (Plates iv-ix.

Page 322, in the legend of text-fig. l—/o9' ( x 2), 7-ead ( x|).

Page 326, in the legend of text-Hg.2 — for ( x 25), read ( x 16).

Plate iv. is wrongly lettered PI. v.

Plate V. is wrongly lettered PI. iv.

Page 376 — After Plate vi.(wing venation) read (all figs, x 5).

,, After Plate vii. (appendages, etc.) read (figs. 1-23, x 4).

Page 377— Figs. 24-26, after penis read ( x 11).

,, Plate viii. (larvae); Fig. 1, /"or ( x 10) rearf ( x 7).

Fig.2, /or ( X A) read (x3^). Figs.3 and 5, for ( x 9) read ( x 8). Fig.4, /or ( x25) read ( x 22).

,, Plate ix. (labia of nymphs) — Figs. 1-5, for ( x 25) read ( x 12).

Page 435, line 23— /or PericdUini, reail Pei icalini.

Page 441, line 14 — for A. sexstriatis, read A. nexxtriata.

Page 459, line 32 — for AnkidrodesmuH nitzrhioides, read Ankistrodesmus

nitzschioides. •

Page 493, line 30 — for var. platycerum, read var. platycerium.

Page 550, line 17 — for Albinm porrum, read Allium porrum.

Page 733, line 15 1 r. r» j • An i ■

p. ° ^oj' ,. tjq J- for A. quadriceps, read A. qiiadricepn.

Page 733,' line 19 1

Page 734, line 32 > for E. adumbrata, read R. adumbrata.

Page 740, line 11 )

Page 735, line 29— for E. flaripes, read R. flavipes.

Page 740, line 13 — for E. oveiisensis, read R. oreiisenfiis.

Page 740, line 26— /or the tenth and eleventh, read the tenth and eleventh

joints. Page 743, line 1 — for nietasternuni, read mesosternum. Page 764, line 20— /or the type, read the specimen described. Page 767, line 21— /or darker, read dark. Page 772, line 1 — for L. phavtawia, read S. phantasma.

LIST OF NEW (JKNERIC NAMES PROPOSED IN THIS VOLUME(I910).

.(4eo^o.s^o?»a(Lepidoptera)

Ayathiopsis(Lepidoi)terii)

^/jo(Zrt.s'»ti(t(Lepidoptera)

.(4}-;7yro''oswia(Lepidoptera)

.4?t<a7i('^.s*a(Lepidoptera)

CA^oeres( Lepidoptera) ...

C/<Zororoma(Lepidoptera)

CAor (■.s</tem?s(Odonata)

CAre.s»iart7ta(Lepidoptera)

C<y??ia<o2>/ea:(Lepidoptera)

£'re<wiOjO!/s(Lepidoptera)

Gyna»dria( Lepidoptera)

iam2/ro(/e.s(Lepidoptera)

PAGE

... 182

... 614

... 612

.. 609

... 629

... 570

.. 581

334, 368

... 219

.. 576

... 588

... 575

... 182

il/er«7a.9^('s( r^epidoptera) Metat/iemin(Odo}3a,ta.) . . . ^Vto//t(7a( Lepidoptera) /*«ra.sfi/('?ta(LepitIoptera) Parastran(ja( Lepidoptera) Procalyptis( Lepidoptera) Pro<o/^/ri!/^a( Lepidoptera) /^/io??t6o(,"ero.'?( Lepidoptera) .'^o.sJ?ieMra( Lepidoptera) Sticho7iot u-i{Coleo\)ter3i) Xenothictisi'Le-pidopteYa,) JZ'acor2'.sca( Lepidoptera)

	PAGE
... 255
335, 361
... 569
	164
	289
	204
	648
	180
	157
	378
	279
	220

^^iiO CEEIDin^ G5-S

OF TFIE

LINNEAN SOCIETY

OF

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30th, 1910.

The Thirty-fifth Annual General Meeting, and the Ordinary Monthly Meeting, were held in the Linnean Hall, Ithaca Road, Elizabeth Bay, on Wednesday evening, March 30th, 1910.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING.

Mr. C. Hedley, F.L.S., President, in the Chair. The Minutes of the preceding Annual General Meeting (March 31st, 1909) were read and confirmed. The President delivered the Annual Address.

PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS.

Ladies and Gentlemen —

It is the duty and the privilege of your President to conclude his year of office by an Address at the Annual Meeting. Custom requires that these addresses should consist partly of a history of the Society during the past year and partly of a philosophical treatise intended for the delectation of members. To prepare an Address worthy of submission to so intellectual an audience is the heaviest responsibility of the Presidency. I crave your

2 prksident's addrks.s.

indulgence for an effort which falls below the high standard to which my predecessors have accustomed you.

The greeting " Ladies and Gentlemen " reminds you that at the instance of Prof. Wilson the Society early in the year resolved to break down the invidious distinction between tlie sexes and to extend full privileges of membership to women. As far back as 1885 women have been received by the Society as "Associates" but excluded from meetings and denied a vote. Eight lady Members joined us under these restrictions, half of whom con- tinue to the present. This enfranchisement was a natural pro- gress and was foreseen by my predecessor, President Stephens, who in his Annual Address of January 27, 1886, made the following reference to the admission of women : — " This enlarge- ment of the Society's sphere is admittedly only tentative, and may probably be increased hereafter by the admission of all Members to full rights without distinction of sex, following the improved practice of the Sydney University in this respect." That the status of our women Members should be thus raised i.s also in harmony with the provisions of the Founder's will direct- ing that women who are otherwise qualified should be eligible for election to the Linnean Macleay Fellowships.

In this reform you followed the example of our great name- sake the Linnean Society of London. But whereas the English women had fairly earned their reward by several brilliant papers accepted and published by their Society, no such feminine con- tributions have been received from our Members. Neither have Australian ladies so far taken much advantage of the member- ship now open to them. Yet I anticipate that in the future we shall welcome many distinguished women oE Science to our I'anks and that their work will be an ornament to our Proceedings. And if not, "Because right is right,'' as Tennyson says, "to follow right were wisdom in the scorn of consequence."

These alterations necessitated the revision and issue of a new edition of the Rules in December last. Accompanying it was a list of Members, from which it appears that we commence the Session of 1910 with 130 effective Members on the roll.

president's address.

On Januaiy 25th, 1875, this Society was inaugurated l)y 125 Members, and in 1890 only 24 of these foundation Members continued their association.* To-day but three of these pioneers remain to us— Sir Normand MacLaurin, Mr. li. H. B. Bradley, and Mr. George Masters — though seventeen others who have not maintained their membership are still happily alive. These survivors are Sir Philip Sydney Jones, Sir J. R. Fairfax, Pro- fessor Liversidge, Drs. Cox, Ramsay, and E. Chisholm, The Hon. H. H. Kater, Messrs. T. Brown, J. Brazier, A. Dodds, J. J. R. Gibson, H. A. Gilliat, W. H. Hargraves, C. W. Lloyd, F. Lark, H. Makinson, and G. Osborne.

During last Session eight elections added to us six effective Members, one Member resigned, and we mourn the decease of another. This year death had almost passed us by, but turned to snatch one of our younger brethren. Thomas Cahill Dwyer entered the Training College in 1902, and won the Departmental scholarship to the University, where he took his degree of Bachelor of Science in December, 1905. Next year he was appointed to the position of Resident Science Master in charge of tiie Bathurst Technical College, a post he filled with credit until failing health compelled liis I'etirement. After a long illness he expired on August 23rd, 1909, at the early age of 30. His removal from Sydney to Bathurst deprived him of the opportunity of attending meetings, and so he was personally known to but few of us. Those who enjoyed the privilege of his acquaintance saw in him the promise, broken by his failing lipalth, of scientific achievement.

After the above had gone to press, I heard with regret of the unexpected death of our ex-Member, Mr. G. W. Kirkaldy, of Honolulu, on Feb. 2nd of this year. He contributed to our Vol. xxxiii., a valuable "Catalogue of the Hemiptera of Fiji." In a previous article, Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Exper. Station, Ent. Bull, iii., 1907, Introduction, he offered a sketch of the Austra- lasian zoogeographical divisions from an Hemiptera standpoint.

* These Proceedings, xiv., p. 1300.

4: PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.

For tlie last year the output of work has been well maintainecL As new recruits we welcomed Drs. J. B. Cleland and E. W. Ferguson, Messrs. T. H. Johnston and A, F. B. Hull, whil& veteran Members continued their work on Bacteriology, Botany, Biochemistry, Comparative Anatomy, Conchology, Entomology, various branches of Invertebrate Zoology and Geology. Their writings advance Australian Science in these branches, and will,. E trust, prove fruitful of further thought and deed.

Our Annual Volume, No. xxxiv., embodying these researches,, was promptly completed and distributed. It contained about eight hundred and fifty pages, and was illustrated by sixty-nine plates. In bulk it equals the united annual product of other Australian scientiBc societies, and we may, I think, without conceit,regard it with satisfaction. The increasing demand abroad for our publications is accepted as a token of apprecia- tion from those qualified to express it. Recently the standard of our volume has been visibly raised by the highly trained specialists now engaged by the Society.

In discharge of the trust imposed on us by the Founder, and' mindful of these words by President Stei)hens, " on satisfactory proof being given to the Council that the holder has laboured' during the preceding term with earnestness, perseverance and success," Dr. Petrie, Mr. Goddard, and Mr. Cotton were approved and re-appointed for the ensuing year as Linnean Macleay Fellows.

Though Dr. Jensen retired from a Fellowship two years ago^,, he has continued to enrich our Proceedings with geological infor- mation obtained daring his term of office. It was a gratification to his fellow Members to learn that the Syme Prize for the encouragement of research work in natural science was last year awarded to Dr. Jensen by the University of Melbourne.

During the past year the Macleay Bacteriologist has investi- gated several problems connected with opsonic activity. The opsonins are tho.se bodies, contained in the blood and body fluids, which assist the white blood corpuscles or phagocytes to absorb all microbes, including those which excite disease. They exist

president's address. 5

already formed in the body -fluids to a certain extent, and assist in the maintenance of health. An increased quantity of opsonin in the body may be produced hy the injection of dead bacteria or by the consumption of yeast.

Since dead bacteria and yeast can increase the opsonic content of the bluod, the question arises, are the opsonins produced ■directly from the bodies of these micro-organisms, or are they formed indirectly in response to a stimulus given by their pro- ducts of digestion 1 Experiment showed that they are not formed directly, from which it follows that their products of digestion stimulate the activity of some opsonin-producing organ.

It is a curious fact about the action of opsonins that by diluting fresh blood serum we obtain an increase in its opsonic activity. The reason was not known until investigations were undertaken in the Society's laboratory. As a result of much experimentation, it appears that the cause of the phenomenon lies in the activity of the phagocytes. The salinity of normal blood serum is too high for a maximum phagocytosis, and there- fore by weakening the percentage of salt, the gradual dilution brings the serum to a point at which the phagocytes can work best. From this point a further dilution lessens both opsonic content and phagocytic activity. Less important factors in con- trolling the phenomena are the relative abundance of bacteria to be ingested, the nature of the phagocytes, and the duration of the period of contact between opsonised bacteria and phagocytes.

In the domain of economic bacteriology. Dr. Greiir-Smith investigated the cause of the thickening of condensed milk. In our climate it is not unusual to find that a thickening has taken place during storage. When the tins are opened by the public, the milk may be thick, lumpy, or like a stiff jelly. The cause of this condition was traced to a micrococcus which apparently •obtains access to the milk either during cooling or canning, and slowly coiigulates the casein by secreting a rennet-like ferment. The small quantity of air remaining in the tin probably assists the growth of the bacterium. The microbe is easily killed, and there appears to be no reason why greater care in the later stages

b PllESIDENTS ADDRESS.

of manufacture should not prevent the loss of thousands of tins of milk.

Turning to the work of the Linnean Macleay Fellows, Dr. Petrie during the past year has completed his research on the amount of aiginin, histidin, and lysin in fowl's egg-white. During the process of separation of these bases, determinations of the quantity of nitrogen were made at each stage of the estima- tion. The figures obtained will be of value in showing the parts of the process of separation which require improvement.*

Since the conclusion of this research, Dr. Petrie has been engaged on the application of the precipitin test to the problem of the difi'erentiation of the vegetable species. The valuable researches of Nuttall,! Graham-Smith and others have shown that in the animal kingdom the relationships indicated by the " biological method" are those which have been accepted on the ground of morphological similarity. In the plant kingdom it was thought that this method was unlikely to be useful as the early experiments of Kowarskiij: suggested no considerable differ- ence in the proteins of plants. Employing an antiserum pre- pared against extracts of the seeds of Acacia pycnantlia, it has been found that no reaction is given with the extracts of the seeds of any plant outside the Natural Order of the Leguminosse, to which Acacia pycnantha belongs. Within the group of the Leguminosse, extracts of some seeds react with the antiserum^ while extracts of seeds of other species fail to react. The plants which thus appear to be related to Acacia pycnaiitha according to the biological method show so far no general morphological similarity. It may be possible, if sufficient data be obtained, to determine the value of morphological characters and to recognise a natural grouping of plants.

The attention of Mr. E. J. Goddard, Linnean M acleay Fellow in Zoology, has been devoted to the Hirudinea, Oligochaeta, and Polyzoa. The results of his study have appeared in one article

* Chapman & Petrie, Journ. of Physiol., xxxix., 1909, p. 341.

t Xuttall, Blood Immunity and Relationship. Cambridge. 1904.

X Deutsch. med. Wochenschr, xxvii., 190'2, p. 448.

PRESIDENT S ADDRESS. i

on tlie Polyzoa and two on the Hirudinea. Two more parts on the Hirudinea are completed and await publication, while three more of the same series are far advanced and will be laid before you shortly. In addition to enlarging the anatomical and sys- tematic knowledge of the group, Mr. Goddard has found in tlieir metamerism fresh clues to the phylogeny of these leeches. Indeed the study of metamerism in his hands promises deductions which reach far beyond the group which first suggested them.

The Australian fresh-water annulates are now appearing as a rich fauna, and will afford new means for tlie solution of zoo- geographical problems. Mr. Goddard's progress in these obscure groups is watched with interest by our zoological members.

Mr. Leo A. Cotton, Linnean Macleay Fellow in Geology, has now completed his first year's work. He has investigated the tin deposits of a part of the New England District, his descrip- tion of which appeared in the last Part of our Proceedings. In that issue his obseivations in the field are presented, while his conclusions on the genesis of the deposits are reserved until a broader view shall have been obtained by a study of the whole district. During his visit he took the opportunity to investigate two interesting problems; one the Borah Creek ore deposits, and the other the occurrence and origin of the diamond deposits of Copeton. A description of the Borah Creek occurrence is now almost finished, and an account of the diamond deposits at Cope- ton is being prepared. Towards the end of last year, Mr. Cotton paid a short visit to the Emmaville District in New England, and intends to examine this area more closely in the near future.

On tiie 31st December last the total funds under the control of our Society amounted to .£72,000. The amount to the credit of the Fellowships (capital) account was £38,400, and the annual income about .£1,500. At the present rate of interest earned, the Society will be in a position about eight years hence to appoint a fourth Linnean Macleay Fellow — provided, of course, that there is in the meantime no sacrifice of income through difficulty in obtaining suitable investments.

8 president's address.

Px'ofessor David entertained the Members and their friends in the geological theatre of tlie University at a lecture on November 10th, 1909, on the Scientific Results of the British Antarctic Expedition of 1908. A lavish display of maps, specimens, and lantern slides, supported b}' brief addresses on special subjects by Dr. Farr, Dr. Jensen, Dr. Woolnough, and Mr. Goddard, provided an instructive and agreeable evening.

Our association with Antarctic research has been deepened during the year by invitations accepted and fulfilled by several of our Members to contribute to the volumes published by Sir Ernest Shackleton on the Scientific Results of his Expedition.

As on the last Expedition several of our Members were honoured by a place, so we learn with pride and pleasure that on the next British Antarctic Expedition we shall be again repre- sented, this time by our strenuous fellow Member, Mr. T. Griffith Taylor.

The Eighth Intei'national Zoological Congress will meet at Graz in Austria in August, 1910. The Committee have kindly invited this Society to send delegates, but unfortunately our distance from Enrope does not allow us to attend.

There is, however, a bright prospect that three years hence we may welcome to Sydney the British Association for the Advance- ment of Science. At the suggestion of the Melbourne University Council, a deputation representing the Universities and learned Societies of Australia waited on the Hon. the Prime Minister on December 16th last. Our Corresponding Member, Prof. W. Baldwin Spencer, kindly acted" for us on this occasion. The deputation was sympathetically received, and it is hoped that the Commonwealth, the States, and the citizens will unite in a national invitation, so that the visit of the British Association to Australia in 1913 maybe as successful as that to South Africa in 1905 and that to Canada in 1909.

For the scientific portion of this Address, I have elected a subject not hitherto discussed in our Proceedings, namely,

PRnSICKNTS ADUKKSS. 9

TnK SoiiMAKiNK 8r,oPE OF New South Walks. (Plates i. ami ii.) ( I ) TJie y<)tiniecliau (J w rant.

First we discuss the cuirent, because without a knowledge of it the continental shelf cannot be properly undeistood.

Past Sydney there flows south a warm and rapid current well known to sailors and fishermen. In the days before steam it sometimes happened that inward bound ships, if becalmed off the Heads, might be carried out of sight before the wind permitted them to regain their position. Now coasting steamers trading north hug the laud to avoid the stream, while southward bound vessels kee}» a good offing to benefit by the current in their favour.

This great current is swung in and out by the on and offshore winds, retarded and even superficially reversed or submerged by southerly gales, and accelerated by northerly winds. I am informed by Capt. W. A. Bennett, a local Government pilot, that in exceptional circumstances, after the current has been "banked up" for several days by heavy southerly gales, it may attain a maximum velocity of four knots.

Neither its origin nor its conclusion has been satisfactorily determined. Two recent maps* give contradictory views of its course. It has been assumed, rather than proved, that tins current is derived from the South Equatorial current, whose path after encountering the Melanesian Islands is indefinite. It is thought to vanish in the south of the Tasraan Sea. Wilkes states tliat it frequently turns into Bass Strait, after which it is lost in the sea to the west of Tasmania or mingles with the Polar current. On the contrary, Hepworthf considered that this current is deflected from the Australian coast, between the 31st

* Halligan, These Proceedings, xx<i. , PI. lii.; and Dannevig, Journ. Hoy. Soc. N. S. Wales, xli., p. 43.

i" Hepwoith, Journ. Roy. Soc. N. S.Wales, xxxii., 1898, p. 122.

10 prksident's address.

and 35th parallels, first to the east and then to the north-east by a current from the Indian Ocean passing through Bass Strait or round the south of Tasmania.

Probably the current runs south until it passes beyond the range of the north-easterly winds, whenever and wherever that may be. It is then likely to cool, to slacken and to split into diverging tongues, one of which may describe a spiral course in the Tasmaa Sea; the others, after encountering the opposition of Antarctic winds and currents, may finally plunge under the surface. The " Venus " appears to have felt it off the south-east of Tasmania on January 7th, 1839, in 45° 16' S. lat.* In con- nection with the descending spiral, it is significant that " the isotherms of 40°, 45°, and 55° are found at greater depths on the New Zealand side" of the Tasman Sea than on the Australian.

It has been variously described as the Australian Current, the East Australian Current, and the Coastal Current of New South Wales. But as there are many Australian currents, a distinctive name would be useful. So I propose the name Notonectian (south swimming) to be applied to the stream running past the coast of New South Wales, without reference to its earlier or later history.

As the Gulf Stream influences western Europe, so does the Notonectian control the meteorology of our coast. The enervating climate of Sydney in midsummer is due to the warm moisture absorbed by the sea breezes from the surface of the Notonectian and immediately precipitated on the town.

Under favourable circumstances, animate or inanimate objects might drift in a couple of weeks from the tropics to Sydney. The attention of the Society has often been directed to tropical products, messages from reef and palm, cast on beaches around Sydney. In our Proceedings mention is made of pumice (xxx.,. p.351), seeds of Aleurif.es{xx., p. 2 10), and of Barringtoniai\x.w.^ p. 542), NaiUilus shells(xviii., p.239), living Hawksbill turtles (xxii., p.254), a sea snake(xiv., p.633), BoiieUia{xxxi., p. 462;, and

Du Petit-Thouars, V"oy. Venus, Histoire iii., 1S41, p. 437-8.

prp;sident's address. 11

rocillopora{xxiv.,TpTp 192, 413)clrifted from the north. Thedugongs on which tlie Blacks of Botany Bay and the Macleay River once feasted* had a similar origin. Tropical fish which journey down the stream are cited by Waite.f Further south stranded Nautilus shells were noticed at Twofold Bay by Dr. Cox,f and at Flinders Island in Bass Strait by Dr. Milligan.§

The investigation of this current is the largest, most fruitful, and fascinating problem within the reach of the Sydney marine biologist.

Perhaps the first observation of the Notonectian was made by Bass and Flinders on March 25th, 1796. They stood out to sea from Port Jackson Heads, and when they steered back again towards the land in the afternoon expected to fetch Cape Solander. To their surprise they sighted Mt. Kembla instead, and realised that a strong current had carried them some twenty miles beyond their reckoning. ||

The day after leaving Sydney on his way to Cook Strait, New Zealand, Capt. Dumont D'Urville of the "Astrolabe" found on December 21, 1826, a current running to the south-east at the rate of twenty -four miles in as many hours. ^

Commodore Wilkes of the American Exploring Expedition traversed this current several times, his tender the " Peacock " observing it seventy miles off the land. He found it variable in breadth and strength, but running at certain seasons of the year with great rapidity, reminding him of the Gulf Stream. On his first arrival in Sydney in November, 1839, he found its tempera- ture to be 73°, which on his return from the Antarctic in March, 1840, had risen to 75°.**

* Etheridge, Rec. Austr. Mas., vi., 1905, p. 17. t Waite, Mem. Austr. Mus., iv., 1899, p. 16.

+ Cox, The Nautilus, xi., 1897, p.43.

§ Proc. Roy. Soc. V. D. Land, i., 1850, p. 292.

II Flinders, Voy. Terr. Austr., i., 1814, p.xcviii.

H D'Urville, Voy. Astrolabe, Histoire ii., 1830, p.4.

** Wilkes, Narrative U. S. Explor, Exped., 1845, ii., p. 362; iii., p.S/

p. 472.

12 president's address.

Sailing out of Sydney with the "Erebus" and "Terror," in August, 1841, Sir James C. Ross was surprised to find the tem- perature of the surface of the sea rise from 55° in the liarbour to 63° immediately outside the Heads. From subsequent observa- tions he concluded that the breadth of the warm current running to the southward at the rate of about twenty miles a day along the coast of New South Wales does not much exceed three hundred miles.*

We still owe the best description of the Notonectian to the "Challenger" Expedition. In June, 1874, the survey directed by Sir George Nares found the current in reduced circumstances. After a continuance of westerly winds, it was developed as a stream thirty miles broad running at an average rate of one and a half miles an hour, its inner edge twenty miles from the land. The temperature stood at 69° to 70'7°, whereas the ocean traversed by the current was only 63°. In the previous April the same expedition found the current in a more vigorous con- dition running close in shoi'e with a higher temperature of 72*^.1

In an interesting study of local atmospheric conditions, Mr. H. C. Dannevig has discussed this current in relation to the dispersal of fish ova. From data collected by steamers running between Sydney and New Zealand, he considered that the centre of the warm current lies normally from a hundred to a hundred and fifty miles east of Sydney. During stormy l)lows from the west, the current is pushed bodily seawards, but in easterly weather its western border brushes along the headlands. J

[2) The Continental Shelf.

The continental shelf may be defined as tliat area extending outwards from the land to a depth of about one hundred fathoms. This distinction is not arbitrary, for at or about this point the sediment alters to finer and the slope of the sea-floor to steeper.

* Ross, Voy. Discovery Antarctic Regions, ii., 1847, p. 5.

t Chall, Report, Narrative, i., 188.5, p. 464.

+ Dannevig, Journ. Roy. Soc. N. S. Wales, xli., 1907, p.4;i

PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. 13:

These features indicate the approaching limit of sediment. Wherever the profile of the New South Wales coast be examined, a terrace is found to project from the beach to the hundred-fatliom line, whence the ground quickly changes to a steeper grade. Compared with most other coasts, the continental shelf is here exceptionally narrow, resembling in this respect that of Western South America. Off Cape Dromedary the shelf contracts to a dozen miles, and off Newcastle it broadens to thirty-four. This narrowness of the shelf renders it impossible that extensive trawling grounds may be discovered in the waters of our State, The continental shelf of New South Wales is described and con- trasted with that of Queensland by Dr. H. B. Guppy.*

Working across the shelf with dredge or trawl, the bottom proves rough and rocky upon the shallower inshore half. Out- side Sydney the projecting reefs are the favourite resort of the schnapper, and their positions are known to the fishermen by cross bearings. But in the outer portion the rocks disappear and the bottom is found to be a smooth even floor of sand and mud, a plain of sedimentation. Geologists have collected con- vincing evidence of recent submergence of this coast. f So that it is likely that the rough inshore part of the shelf within forty or fifty fathoms I'epresents an old denuded land surface, including perhaps the stumps of sea cliffs of a former coast-line. In Western Europe river-beds have been traced into the Atlantic for a hundred miles beyond their present estuaries. | Thus we might expect to find submarine gorges crossing the Australian shelf in continua- tion of present valleys. But I am unable to distinguish traces of such among the soundings on the chart, and conclude that if in existence they have been obliterated by sediment. There are indeed some irregularities of the contour lines outside Port Jack- son and Port Stephens, but these may result from the ebb tide eddying from those harbours.

* H. B. Guppy, Journ. Vict. Inst, xxiii., 1890, p.59. t David and Halligan, Journ. Roy. Soc. N.S. Wales, xlii., 1908 (1909)^ p. 229.

X Hull, Trans. Victoria Institute, xxx., 1897 (1898), p. 311.

14 president's address.

It is now suggested that the continental shelf of this State owes its profile lo the Notonectian current. A bank so regular in depth and so extensive in length must be of recent geological date. Otherwise diiferential crustai movements, lowering in one place and hoisting in another, would have disturbed its unifor- mity. It is again a fair infei'ence to deduce that, however it is made, this bank is still in the making. Since recent depression of the coast is an accepted fact, it has been deposited since the last subsidence and an older or e\en a succession of shelves may lie buried beneath the present one. The sudden angle of the shelf seems to have suggested faulting to Mr. C. S. Wilkinson, who wrote: "[At] a line about 20 miles east from the precipi- tous coast . . . the bed of the ocean probably . . . has been faulted to a depth of over 12,000 feet."*

On the Kosciusko Range, long wreaths of snow stretch along the eastern mountain brow through the summer and after all the rest of the winter's fall has melted away. The cause of this snow wreath is the prevailing westerly wind which sweeps off the winter's snow falling on the mountain top and drops it on the sheltered slope where it packs in a talus to a great depth. In such a manner I imagine that the current sweeps sediment along the continental shelf till it is tipped over the edge into quiet waters. A section of the bank thus formed is sliown in the Ulladulla profile; the sedimentary deposit being separated from its conjectured continental base by a white line.

Neither the irregularities of the land above nor of the base beneath disturb the sweep of the 100-fathom line upon the chart. But east and south of Newcastle and Broken Bajr, whence issue the Hunter and Hawkesbury Rivers, the shelf broadens considerably so that Sydney is past before the shelf retreats to its ordinary breadth. Where the shelf is carried out farther the talus slope beyond is correspondingly longer, just as would be the case in a railway embankment carried along a mountain side. Thus in the model of the coast off Sydney,

* Wilkinson, Notes on Geology of N. S. Wales, 1887, p. 70.

president's address. 15

(Plates i. and ii.) the northern wall being nearer to the Hawkesbury carries tlie 100-fathom line five miles further sea- ward than does the southern. Consequently a sharper angle, a more abrupt fall occurs in the former than in the latter. All these features of the shelf accord with the hypothesis that its margin is built up by the current. In the shallower -depths the rocks are swept bare of sediment : perhaps this zone even suffers erosion; deeper, I suppose, that the stream .sweeps detrital matter about till on reaching the edge it is washed over into still water^ there to form a talus slope. From this point of view the depth of the bank is an index to the depth of the stream, namely, a hundred fathoms. Bej'ond the shelf in the open sea, the current may run deeper still. As yet the current has not been plumbed by hydrographers, if we except the temperature section drawn by the Challenger Expe- dition. Taking the isotherm of 65° as the current boundary, tlieir diagram (opp. p. 467) carries it down to 70 fathoms.

From eighty to three hundred fathoms according to my experience, and in four hundred fathoms according to the " Challenger" observations, there extends a deposit of glauconite sand and mud. On washing dredgings from those depths, the water is suffused with a green cloud which is slow to settle. As Dr. Flint remarks, this colouration must be due to extremely minute and amorphous particles.* These deposits are character- istic of steep and exposed coasts like ours, where no large rivers pour out detrital matter. Probably the glauconite extends vertically from a hundred to a thousand fathoms and horizontally along the whole coast of New South Wales.

Messrs. Lee and Collet have traced out a complicated evolu- tion for this curious marine mineral. Empty shells of foraraini- fera fill with clay, the alumina of which is gradually replaced by peroxide of iron, forming an internal cast. This change is indicated by the colour passing from grey to various shades of brown. Finally, glauconitisation ensues through the introduc-

Flint, Bull. 55, U.S. National Museum, 1905, p. 14.

16

PllESIDENTS ADDRESS.

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president's address. 17

tion of potassium, converting the whole to a hydrated potassic ferric silicate, and the characteristic greenish hue is assumed.*

{3)The Continental Base.

In illustration of the slope below the shelf, here termed the continental base, a profile is selected extending seventy! miles east-south-east of UlladuUa, and produced backwards to include the coast range. Your attention is first drawn to the insigni- ficant proportions of a lofty hill upon tlie left, 2,-500 ft. high, compared with the depths of the ocean abyss of more than three vertical miles. As a more forcible illustration, the point is mai'ked to where Mt. Cook, IS[.Z.(r2,359 ft.) would reach if it could be torn from its roots and sunk in the Tasman Sea. Then note the abrupt angle of the continental shelf already discussed. Between sixteen and eighteen hundred fathoms, another irregu- larity occurs in the curve, which is also repeated in the model of the section off Sydney (Plates i. and ii.). This latter inflexion possibly continues the curves shown in Professor David's section across the Blue Mountains and Sydney coal field. | So that the Ulladulla irregularity probably represents a subfold rather than a fault or a drowned continental shelf.

Without excluding faulting as a minor agent, it is suggested that the whole sweep of the diagram portrays an earth-fold of the first magnitude; that it represents the further luall of a pressure- trough driven hy a thrust from the east, a gigantic buckle which is bending down the whole eastern coast of Australia. If so it must be a component of a vast system. The uniform and recent subsidence which extends from Torres Strait to Tasmania is in harmony with this suggestion. For all Eastern Australia anil Tasmania is to be regarded as a geographical unit. Absence of earthquakes may indicate a temporary equilibrium, but if this

* CoUett & Lee, Proc. Roy. Soc. Edinburgh, xxvi,, 1906, pp.238-278.

t Not fifty-five, as inadvertently stated on the diagram. Mt. Sidney of the Admiralty charts is Talaterang of the Lands Department maps. Milton Hill is the north end of Kingiman Range.

X David, Journ. Roy. Soc. N. S. Wales, xxx., 1896, PI. ii. o

18 president's address.

movement is renewed or continued, as seems probable, then it may be the fate of the site of Sydney to sink under the sea.

Section across New Zealand, in the latitude of Mt. Cook.

Continuing the Ulladulla section eastwards across the Tasman Sea, the ocean floor rises very gradually till the South Island of New Zealand is reached. Mark how South New Zealand con- forms in shape and motion to a westward rolling wave as in the above diagram. Not only does the steep face front Australia, the hogs-back slope behind and the crest advance before the centre, but the forefoot sinks under the sea in drowned land vallej'^s and the rear rises in elevated Tertiary plains.

Again, New Caledonia may be pictured as another earth- wave of the first magnitude, rolling in upon the Australian continent. Its south-west coast, bordered by the narrowest shelf and plung- ing into deep water, represents the face, and the broad shelf upon which the recently elevated Loyalty Islands stand, the rear. Further north, the elevated reefs of British New Guinea are contrasted with the subsidence of the Great Australian Barrier Reef on the opposite coast. Professors Haddon, Sollas and Cole "distinctly see in Australia and its islands " . . . "the vast folds of the earth's crust roll slowly inwards upon the central continental mass."*

This rolling wave of New Zealand is complementary to the trough of the Tasman Sea, forced down against the resistance of the continent. Thus the trough is distorted by the resistance it has encountered from the I'egular zeta-curve of a trough moving between rolling waves.

• Trans. Roy. Irish Academy, xxx., 1894 p.473.

president's addrkss. 19

While the subacrial crest is hacked by denudation, the sub- ■marine trough lies undisturbed. Had the upper limb remained intact, it might have reared a noble arph eighteen thousand feet high, the symmetrical counterpart of the three tliousand fathom trough off TJIladuIla. It was considered by Rev. W. B. Clarke that Australia and New Zealand were " separated by a synclinal curve of the rock formations forming the sea channel between them."* But an ordinary syncline would have its maximum depth in the centie, not close to one side as it is in the Tasman Sea.

For comparison with the pressure trough, we will glance at another type of coast. The whole contour of the Great Austra- lian Bight appears to be governed by the Jeffreys Deep, a linear depression df three thousand fathoms, whose axis nearly corres- ponds to the steamer track from Melbourne to Cape Leeuwin. Bass Strait, it is now suggested, niay owe its origin to an extension of this furrow. Recent surve3^s by Mr. H, C. Daunevig on the Fisheries Investigation vessel, " Endeavour," show the sea-floor in and east of the Bight to descend from the coast in a flight of broad steps suggestive of block faulting. The western shore of the Bight extends in a wall of cliffs, truncated Tertiary beds, which may be held the topmost step, unless indeed the con- centric mountain ranges of the interior be so regarded.

Below and beyond the continental shelf, the soundings off Sydney exhibit great irregularity, which, it is now suggested, may indicate a range of deep sea volcanic cones. From a study of the basaltic dykes which intrude the Triassic strata around Sydney, it appeared to Mr. G. A. Waterhouse that the radii of one system would converge to a focus about a point twenty-three miles east of Botany Heads. This focus is marked by a star under the centre of the continental shelf on Plates i. and ii. The radiation of these dykes has been thus plotted in the "Geological Sketch Map of the country in the vicinity of Sydney," Mines Department, 1903. Their occurrence shows a centre of great

•Clarke, Tians. Roy. Sec. N.S.W., ix., 1875, 1876, p 23.

20 president's addkess.

volcanic eneri(v to have existed thereabouts in Post-Tiiassic and probably Tertiary times. *

No soundings are available about this focus of the Sydney dykes. But further out to sea, viz., 46 miles east by south from Bondi, the "Challenger" recorded a sounding (Station 164) of 960 fathoms. The position of this important .sounding was accurately fixed by astronomical observations. Five miles south- west by west of Station 164 she made another sounding (Station 164a) of 1,200 fathoms. This is supported by yet another sounding, not of the "Challenger," of 1,100 fathoms, at a point 13 miles to the south-west of Station 164.

As a rule, eastwards the depth increases very rapidly, but in this exceptional case a hill actually projects some 720 feet above the level of a point several miles to the westward or shoreward of it. And as it is improbable that the "Challenger" chanced to strike on the exact summit of Station 164, the elevation of the peak may be greater still.

Since "Challenger Station 164 " is an awkward and inexpres- sive aiipellation, I propose, with the permission of the Society and of Dr. Walter G. Woolnough, to name this submerged cone Mount Woolnough, after our valued fellow member.

Bej'ond Mt. Woolnough the floor is covered with globigerina ooze, and sinks down graduall}^ to the red mud abyssal plain. No tract of the terrestrial surface extends in so level, so monotonous an expanse as do these great abj^ssal plains. East from Sydney the northern end of one of these plains is traversed for about four hundred mile.s, after which the ground ri.ses in a succession of undulations to New Zealand.

Prof. Milne writes, " the home of the earthquake is at the base of the steep sub-oceanic slopes where most deformation is in progress."! But our slopes have not troubled us much in this respect, telling that for the present there is a cessation of pres- sure movement.

* Morrison, Kec. Geol. Survey, N. S. Wales, vii., 1904, p. 201. t Milne, Journ. Geogr. Soc. 1897, p. 135.

president's address. 21

The bottom temperature at 2,100 fathoms was found by the *' Challenger " to be 34'5°. This probably indicates that a body of cold and heavy water, two and a half degrees aljove freezing, here creeps north from the Antarctic.

Looking backwards, I remind you that the Society now celebrates its thirty-fifth anniversary, and that twenty-five of such Meetings have been held in this Hall. During this exist- ence we hope that not only have we advanced abstract science, but that we have also done the State some service in economic science. Looking forward, I conclude with the Presidential Amen

Floreat Societas Linneana !

EXPLANATION OF PLATES I. -II.

Plate i.

Full face view of model of the submarine slope off Sydney from Deewhy on the north to Cronulla on the south twenty-three miles, and extending east by south for sixty-six miles down to two thousand one hundred fathoms. Above is seen the entrance to Port Jackson on the right and to Botany Bay on the left. Tlie cliffs of the coast are roughly expressed as a continuous wall three hundred feet high. Below the cliffs the sea floor is steep and broken, exposures of bare rock prevail. Beyond this again the rough bottom is buried under a nearly level expanse of sand and mud. Here the contour lines are emphasised to show bays opposite the harbour mouths and a cape running out between them . The limit of the continental shelf is determined by the steep slope reached after passing the hundred fathom line. On the right the shelf is carried out further and ends on a more sudden fall than on the left. This is associated with its proximity to the estuary of the Hawkesbury. The focus of the Sydney dykes is marked by a star. Various soundings on the Admiralty chart upon which the contours are calculated are shown by beads at 290, 650, 960, 1100 and 1200 fathoms respectively. The most important are the 960 and 1200 fathoms points on which Mount Woolnough is modelled. About this horizon the boundaries swell in an intermediate curve which may refer to other volcanoes, but is compared with a similar subfold below Ulladulla. The slope below Mt. Woolnough is gentler and continues beyond the area mapped. It is carpeted with globigerina ooze.

L'2 president's address.

Plate ii. Another view of the same model foreshortened and seen from a lower plane to express the relation of the continental shelf to the continental base. Here the disproportion of the vertical to the horizontal scale exaggerates the steepness of the slope as seen in profile.

Mr. J. H. Campbell, Hon. Treasurer, presented the balance sheet for the year 1909, duly signed by the Auditor, Mr. F. H. Eaymeut, F.C.P.A., Incorporated Accountant; and he moved that it be received and adopted, which was carried unanimously. The h>ociety's income for the year ended December 31st, 1909, was £985 18s. 9d.; the expenditure £1,065 lis. 6d.; with a credit balance of £43 19s. 5d. from the previous year, leaving a debit balance of £35 13s. 4d. The income of the Bacteriological Department was £547 6s. 8d.; and the expenditure £532 6s. 7d.; with a credit balance of £507 Os. 4d. from the previous year, leaving a credit balance of £522 Os. 5d. Macleay Fellowships' Account: the income was £1,490 13s. 6d.; and the expenditure £1,101 15s.; leaving a credit balance of £388 18s. 6d. to be carried to Capital Account.

No nomination of other Candidates having been received, the President declared the following elections for the current Session to have been duly made : —

President: C. Hedley, F.L.S.

Members of Council (to fill six vacancies) : R. H. Cambage, r.L.S., J. H. Campbell, H. G. Chapman, M.D., B.S., T. Storie Dixson, M.B., Ch.M., Alex. G, Hamilton, and Professor J. T. Wilson, M.B., F.R.S.

Auditor : [To be appointed at a Special General Meeting to be held on 3rd November, 1910.]

On the motion of Mr. W. S. Dun, seconded by Mr. J. E. Carne a very cordial vote of thanks was accorded to the President, by acclamation.

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27

ORDINARY MONTHLY MEETING. Makch 30th, 1910.

Mr. C. Hedley, F.L.S., President, iti the Chair.

The Donations and Exchanges received since the previous Monthly Meeting (November 24th, 1909), amounting to 62 Vols.,^ 304 Parts or Nos., 87 Bulletins, 12 Reports and 85 Pamphlets, received from 127 Societies, &c., and 4 Individuals, were laid upon the table.

NOTES AND EXHIBITS,

Mr. David G. Stead exhibited three living examples of the remarkable amphibious freshwater eel, Monopterus javanensis i.,acepede, part of a large consignment which had been imported into the State for consumption by Chinese residents, by whom this species is considered to be a great delicacy.

Mr. Carter showed a pair of specimens representing a new family of Coleoptera; tarsal formula 5-5-4, therefore, referable to the Heteromera; inhabiting ants' nests; obtained by Mr. H. Hacker in North Queensland.

Mr. Baker, on behalf of Dr. Cuthbert Hall, exhibited and offered some observations on a seedling pot-plant of Encalyptxis eximia with three cotyledons, the first foliage leaves, which are peltate, forming a whorl of three, instead of a pair of opposite leaves.

Mr. Fred. Turner exhibited, and offered some observations on, Martynia fragrans Lindl., a Mexican plant that has recently established itself in parts of the Narromine district, N.S.W.; the two long incurved hooked beaks terminating the fruit cling to any woolly or hairy substance, and pasture animals uncon- sciously carry them long distances and distribute the seeds far and wide. Stockowners regard this plant as a formidable new

28 NOTES AND EXHIBITS.

weed pest. He had also received the fi'uit of M. prohoscidea (ilox., for identification, from the Young district, N.S.W., about two years ago.

Mr. T. H. Johnston showed an interesting-series of Australian Entozoa, compri.sing — {\)Po7'ocephalns sp., a linguatulid parasitic in the lung of the spinifex-snake {Diemenia psammophis var. reticulata Krft.) taken by Dr. J. B. Cleland in the north-west of West Australia : (2) Bothridium arcuatum Baird, a cestode inhabiting the intestine of the diamond and carpet snakes {Python spilotes Lacep., and var. variegata Gray); N.S.VV. : (3) Cytodites nudths Viz., a small acarid taken from the mesentery of a fowl (Cleland & Johnston; Sydney), not previously recorded from Australia : (4) Sderostomum vulgare Looss, from the intestine of horses in West Australia (J. B. Cleland), and N.S. Wales (T.H.J.), not previously recognised from these States : (5) Sclerostovium edentalum Looss, also from a horse; collected b}^ J. B. Cleland in West Australia; not previously recorded from that State. He also recorded the occurrence of the follow- ing parasites which had not been recorded as occurring in the States mentioned after each — (6) Spiroptera, sanguinolenta Rud., (N. S. Wales), apparently rare, occurring in tumours in the stomach of the dog : (7) Dipylidhitn caninum Linn., in cats and dogs(W. Australia; J. B. Cleland): (8) Ascaris Inmbricoides Linn., from man (South Australia; Queensland): {9) Asca^'is megaloce- plialo Cloq., from horses(Queensland) : (10) Oxyiiris vermicularis Linn., from children(Queensland; South Australia): (11) Tccnia saginata Goeze, from human beings (Queensland; uncommon) : 12) 7\nnia crassicollis Rud., from cats(West Australia): (13) Tfenia marginata Batsch, from dog8(West Australia).

29

THE SLIME OF THE HOUSEHOLD BATH-SPONGE.

By R. Greig Smith, D.Sc, Macleay Bacteriologist to the

Society.

Rhizohium limososjynngue, n.sp.

The sliaiing of household-sponges is a matter of common observation, and it appears to be the general idea that it is caused, in some way, by the soap used with the sponge. The explanation thus given is probably traceable to the difficulty experienced by the housekeeper in finding a more suitable explanation. Doubtless the formation of a lime-soap scum on water in basins and baths, induced the idea that a deposition of a similar substance occurs in the pores of the sponge. Probably the best means for removing the slime, without injuring the substance of the sponge too much, is to immerse it in hot, sofi water, as this causes the slime to swell. The sponge is then squeezed in a cloth or towel, when the swollen slime oozes through the cloth. A repetition of this procedure will probably remove all the slime.

If one prepares and examines a stained film of the slime, one sees it is crowded with long, more or less bent, rod-like forms; and that the rods ai-e swollen irregularly, very often with partially detached ends, characteristic of the Rhizobmm-ty^e of micro- organism.

When the slime was smeared upon plates of saccharose-bean- agar, the preparation of which has already been described,* a number of colonies of slime-forming bacteria developed in the course of a few days. The great majority of them were of the Rhizobiurii-ty\)Q, and the slimes varied in consistency. The

* These Proceedings, 1906, p. 261

30 THK SLIME OF THE HOUSEHOLD BATH-SPONGE,

original colonies were by no means pure. Some contained Radio- bacter, which grows best in combination with other l:)acteria. ■Others contained Sareinpe and short rods. A second smearing, followed by the usual dilution-method of plating bacteria, enahled pure cultures to be obtained. There were several kinds of Rhizobia, some stouter some thinner, but all produced what appeared to be a similar kind of slime. One of the organisms was taken for further work. A bacterium forming a tough slime was taken as a second microbe because it was probable that this was the cause of the slime being so adhesive to the sponge. The latter micro-organism appeared to lie midway between Rhizobium and Bac. alatus Greig-Smith.

The two bacteria were smeared upon a synthetic agar-medium containing phosphate and aspatagin in combination with various sugars, etc., in order to see which sugar to use in preparing a quantity of the slime. The tough slime-bacterium refused to grow, while the other (Bac.ii.) produced luxuriant slimes from saccharose, levulose, and dextrose, and no slime from lactose, glycerin, dextrin, maltose or mannit. Another test was made, using bean-extract as a basis, with the same result as far as the loose slime-bacterium was concerned. The tough slime-bacterium (Bac. i.) produced a luxuriant slime in the presence of saccharose, levulose, glycerin, mannit and maltose, but failed to respond to lactose and dextrin.

These slimes were used to prepare films for microscopical observation. Both bacteria were Gram-negative and varied ver}' much in size and shape, not only with regard to different sugars, but even with each sugar; and, upon the same film, great varia- tions were seen.

Witli Bacillus i., a smaller or larger oval shape predominated. From glj'cerin, the cells were comparatively small and stained deeply; from the other media, they stained diffusely. From maltose and dextrose, types similar to Bac. alatus* with winged xjapsules were common. Levulose and mannit favoured the

These Proceedings, 1905, p.570.

BY R. GREIG-SMITH.

31

formation of oval cells which remained attached, in groups of three and four, as short chains, the individuals of which varied in size; and sometimes the terminal pair were at right angles to the others, thus producing a T- or Y-shape.

Bacillus ii. rarely exhibited the alatiis-iovm. The typical cell was oval and stained terminally. Mixed with these were bent rods staining irregularly and evidently containing two, three, or four oval cells within a rod-shaped capsule. The exclamation- mark (!) form was genei'ally seen, and in some films Y-forms were noted. It was clearly of the Ehizohiutn-ty^e, while Bac. i. was evidentl}^ allied.

The respective slimes were obtained in quantity by growing Bac. i. on saccharose-bean-agar, and Bac. ii. on levulose-asparagin- agar. From these slimes, gums were prepared according to the method used in the preparation of other gums.* The slime squeezed from the sponge was precipitated with alcohol, treated with water, and made to yield its gum in the same fashion. All the gums were tested with various reagents with the following results.

	Sponge gum.	Bac. i. gum.	Bac. ii. gum.
Alcohol	+ + + X X + 0 + X + 0 0 0 ? 0 0	+ + + X X + 0 + X + 0 0 0 ? 6 0
Basic lead acetate	4-
Ammoniacal lead acetate	+
Neutral lead acetate
Barium hydrate	^
Ferric chloride	-L.
Copper sulphate CuSO^idil.) followed by KOH Phosphotungstie acid	0 +
Fehling's solution	4-
Milk of lime Silver nitrate Iodine	0 V {)
Tannic acid	9
Sulphuric acid	0
Sodium hydrate	0

+ ^-coagulation; x =a precipitate; ? = opalescence; 0=no reaction.

These Proceedings, 1906, p. 268.

32 THE SLIME OF THE HOUSEHOLD BATH-SPONGE,

These guins are similar to one another, and are probably identical. They are somewhat similar to the gum obtained from Rhizobium legtominosarum, excepting in one or two reactions, as, for example, Fehling's solution, with which the Rhizobium- gum does not coagulate. Otherwise Rhizobium-gwm forms a jelly, while these sponge-gums form mucilages.

The bacterial gums were completely hydrolysed by boiling with 5% sulphuric acid, during which process furfural was evolved. Before and after hydrolysis, the gum of Bac. ii., which had been grown from levulose, was dextrorotatory. The solutions of the sugars, obtained after neutralising the sulphuric acid with barium carbonate and evaporating the filtrate to small bulk, were treated with phenylhydrazine-acetic acid mixture, and the impure osazones filtered oflf.

These were purified by the method already described,* and found to consist of galactosazone. No other osazone could be detected, although crystalline osazone-like bodies with indefinite melting points (140° to 155°) were obtained. I have previous!}' suggested that these are probably derived from the furfuroid or similar bodies. Upon oxidation with nitric acid the gums 3'ielded a mixture of oxalic and mucic acids. Thus the gums were galactans.

Bac. No. i. formed a dry, rough, scaly, glistening growth on nutrient agar. In bouillon it grew scantily, chiefly as a surface ring, and the fluid remained clear; nitrates were reduced to nitrites and indol was formed. Litmus-milk was bleached, and the casein slowly peptonised, the reaction becoming alkaline, especially at the surface, where the dried casein appeared as a broad, deep blue ring. In glucose-gelatin, the growth was trans- lucent and rough, the medium becoming slowly liquefied; the colonies were translucent and moruloid. In nutrient gelatin, the growth was similar, but there was no liquefaction. On potato there formed a transparent, flat, glistening growth which

* These Proceedings, 1902, p. .394, and 1903, p. 546.

BY U. GREIG-SMITH. 33

became brownish. In Lemco-broth, with various sugars, the bacteria formed surface-rings, but there was no production of acid.

Bacillus No. ii. {Rhizohuim limosospongiae, n.sp.) formed, oii nutrient agar, a very scanty, slowly growing collectioa of isolated colonies, which slowly fused as a translucent, glistening, raised growth. The cells were entirely of the bacteroid type, as found in the tubercles of certain Leguminosse. The growths in bouillon were scanty, nitrates were reduced to nitrites, and indol was formed. Litmus-milk became alkaline. The bacterium would not grow on gelatin, either glucose or nutrient. On potato, the growth was dull white, flat, and scanty. In Lemco-bouillon con- taining saccharose, dextrose, levulose, lactose, mannit or glycerin, surface-rings were formed, but there was no production of acid. No motility was ever observed.

While the bacteria are capable of producing slime upon the surface of certain nutritive agar media, they are apparently incapable of doing so when immersed in fluid. This was shown in an experiment in which the bacteria were grown, for three weeks, in a faintly acid solution containing asparagin(0 06 %), sodium pliosphate(0-2 %), and levulose or dextrose(2 %). This nutrient fluid favoured the formation of branched forms of hhizohhim leguminosarum, but did not do so with these two bacteria. In the fluids, which were a centimetre deep, no slime was produced; and a similar absence of slime was noted in the cultures in Lemco-bouillon with various carbonaceous nutrients.

The condition, as regards the supply of oxygen, will be very

much the same upon the surface of a damp sponge, as upon the

surface of agar, while the nutrients are quite difi'erent. The

question, therefore, arises, from what substance is the slime

elaborated in the sponge "? The solids of the water will supply

the necessary saline matter, and it is conceivable that the traces

of nitrogenous matter derived from the skin may be the source

of the carbon. It may be the soap, but one does not expect that

a sodium fatty acid salt would do this. In experiments with

fluid and solid (agar) uifdia containing asparagin and soap, no 3

L I 8 R A R yX

34 THE SLIME OF THE HOUSEHOLD BA'JH-SPONGE,

slime was obtained. Soap* is, therefore, out of the question as a source of slime.

The most feasible explanation is, that the substance of the sponge serves as a source both of carhou and of nitrogen. It consists chiefly of spongin, a proteid which contains 16 % of nitrogen. This is the more pi'obable as the texture of a sponge, which has been attacked, is appreciably softer after the slime has been removed.

The activity of the bacteria in ))roducing slime from sponge- substance, was tested by using four sponges, one of which was infected with an emulsion of Bac. i., another with Bac. ii., and a third with a mixture of both, while a fourth was reserved as a control. All were kept moist in covered beakers at 27°. In 17 days the sponge infected with Bac. ii. was a sodden, slimy mass, and had shrunken considerably. The control was unaffected, while the others were slightly slimy. The behaviour of the sponge with the mixture of bacteria, was explained by its having had a slight infection, the remains of what had not been soaked up by the first sponge. Subsequently it became much more slim}^ Although the experimental sponge had been reduced in size and elasticity, there was no apparent change in the microscopical appearance of the network; the only difl:erence noted between the infected and the control sponges was that, in the former, masses of bacteria-containing slime filled up the spaces of the sponge. The slime from the sponge contained trreat numbers of rod-forms, of various dimensions, ;ind stainin^^

^ If a slimy sponge is rubbed with soap, Mjueezed, and rubbed up again and again, one can obtain a condition in which the sHme appears to have been removed, and the sponge behaves?, to soapy water, as if no slime were in it. The slime, however, has not been removed; it has simply been coagulated, and the sponge will regain its slimy consistence on removal of the soap with changes of fresh, soft water. A sponge which is slightly slimy in hard water, becomes very slimy when soft water is used. These facts show that the slime is coa,gulated by soap, and by various salts. The same thing was noted when fragments of slime were inserted in nutrient bouillon; they did not swell and diffuse, but appeared to become coagulated, and remained in the medium as lumps of slime.

Jiy l{. GREHi-SMIlH. 35

irregularly, like the original bacteria used for infecting. Others appeared as short, oval bacteria contained in a long, sometimes lihick, sometimes thin, cylindrical capsule, the who]e resembling a Htreptococcus. Plate-cultivation showed a mixed culture of bacteiia, some producing no slime, and others forming raised, compact colonies of the irregularly staining rods imbedded in a tough slime. Tliese were similar to the infecting bacteria, although the slime was tougher.

It was evident that the growth upon the sponge had altered the character of the bacillus, to the extent of causing it to pro- duce a more viscous slime. Further examination showed that the growth-characters had also altered. The growths upon media were much more vigorous. It now grew upon glucose and nutrient gelatin as a dull, rough layer, slowly liquefying the ni'idium. In litmus-Lemco-gelatin with various sugars, acid and gas were produced from dextrose,, saccharose, and mannit, while lactose was unaffected. A dry, yellowish layer formed on potato.

Sriminary. — The sliminess of the household-sponge is caused by slime-forming bacteria, one of which, Rkizohium limosospouf/ice n.sp., has been shown to be an active agent in producing the phenomenon.

36

THE BACTERIAL FLORA OF RACIirTIC ST00L8.

By R. Greig-Smitk, D.Sc, INL^clkay Bactkriologist to the

Society.

Rachitis appears to l:»e intimately associated with a disturbed conilitioii of the normal digestive powers of the child, and is ia all probability caused by badly balanced or insufficient feeding. Findlay, however, traces it to a lack of exercise such as can be brought about experimentally by confinement, and his experi- ments are certainly very convincing. But possibly the lack of exercise brings about a digestive disturbance, especially if it is accompanied by improper feeding, and undoubtedly some of the symptoms, e.g., abdominal distension, constipation, offensive motions, point to intestinal disturbance.

Tiiis being the case, it seemed to be possible that a bacteiio- logical examination of the stools of children suffering from the malndy might show some common bacterial condition, and with tills idea a few specimens of dejecta were examined. The samples were not so numerous as could have been wished for the end in view, but Rachitis is not a common disease in Australia, and a greater number could not be obtained. Still enough was done to give an indication of the natui*e of the bacteria generally found.

The specimens of the stools'''' were received in sterilised bottles,. to the wooden corks of which an iron spoon was attached. Upon its arrival at the laboratory, the sample was thoroughly mixed- and a gram of material was rubbed up in a sterile glass mortar with 99c.c. of sterile water. One c.c. of this was mixed with 99 c.c. of sterile water( = suspension i.). Two c.c. of this suspen- sion were mixed with 98 c.c. of sterile water ( = suspension ii.). Plates of media were prepared, and, after the agar had set, a diagonal was drawn across the bottom of the Petri dish with a glass pencil. A large loop of stout platinum-iridium wire (internal diameter of loop = 45 mm., was dipped in suspension i., and smeai^ed over half of the plate. The loop was then pushed over

* For the specunens of ihachitic stools and for the notes upon the cases- Jam indebted to Dr. Stoiie Dixson.

BY U. GREIG-SMITFI. 37

the diagonal and the second half smeared. Thus a thick and a thin seeding were obtained. A second plate was siuiilarh' treated with suspension ii. The surface moisture was then evaporated by exposing the uncovered Petri dishes in the incubator at 37* for half-an-hour, after which the plates were covered, inverted and allowed to incubate for from 1 to 3 days, the longer time being necessary for the growth of the streptococci.

The media employed were iNIacConkey's lactose bile salt iieutral-red agar, Endo's fuchsiu agar, lactose agar or nutrient agar, with the addition of either 01 c.c. of normal lactic acid or 05c.c. of 10% sodium carbonate per 10 c.c. nutrient agar, nutrient gelatine and glucose agar for anaerobic cultivation.

Anaerobic cultivation did not assist in isolating oreranisnis other than those which were capable of growing aerohically. The anaerobic glucose-agar plates favoured a growth of streptococci, but these were also favoured by the aerobic-acid and especially the alkaline media. Bac. sporogenes enteritidis was specially sought for, but was never found. Deep tubes of glucose-agar inculcated anaerobicall}' did not reveal microbes other than those obtained aerobicall}' upon plates, and the method was rather troublesome on account of tlie formation of gas bubbles and an exudation of bouillon.

The colonies that developed upon the plates were examined, and probable races and species were picked out and stroked upon agar and gelatin. The condensed water of the agar cultures was examined for the motility of the organisms, and these tests, together with the morphological appearances and reaction to the Gram stain, enabled the bacteria to be thinned -down to a few possible kinds. These were purified by plating on gelatin, and presumably pure colonies were picked out and stroked on agar. From these cultures, Lemco-gelatin with various sugars, etc., litmus-milk, nitrate bouillon, etc., were infected. The non-motile organisms were frequently tested for motility.

It is possible, by pursuing certain methods of enrichment, to obtain fioni stools a very varied flora containing perhaps Bac. hifidiis, or one of the bacteria grouped under the name Bac.

38

THP; BACTERIAL FLOllA OF HACIIITIO STOOLS,

acidophilus; and although it is not claimed that the analysis of the bacterial flora of the stools, as given in this paper, gives a true indication of all the kinds of bacteria present, yet they are more representative than the enumeration of a number of bacteria originally present in infinitesimal proportions and isolated after enrichment in special fluid media. Preliminary experiment had shown that the growths on MacConkey's and' Endo's agar were very similar to that obtained on nutrient agar or gelatin, while the special media enabled a count to Ije more easily made. The comparison between the media will be seen under D.S. (p. 42).

Another thing that was brought out in some preliminaiy experiments was, that, to have any clear idea of the flora of the stools, it woidd be necessary to count the various colonies upon the plates. It appeared to bs useless to indicate the kinds of bacteria isolat»d without at the same time indicating the relative proportions in which tliey occurred.

Faecal Bacteria of the coli-ty^e, positive to indol and nitrite tests, negative to Gram, gelatine not liquefied.

No.

o

Gelatin growth.

•

Dextrose.

Mannit.

Lactose.

Milk.

Saccha- rose.

^

Acid

Gas

Acid

Gas

Acid

Gas

Acid

Clot

Acid

Gas

B,

X

flat

X

B. B.

X X

raised flat

x

X X

Bi

z

raised fiat

\

X

X X

X

X X

B,, B^

X

raised flat

X

X X

X

X X

X

B«

flat

—

X

,

—

ih,

flat

X

—

B,o

—

raised

\

X

—

Bxj

X

raised flat

—

X X

X

X X

X

X X

X

Bit

-^

flat flat

X

X X

X

X X

X

—

X

B,n

—

raised

X

—

Bifi

X

raised

X

-^

X

—

— -

—

Bi,

\

flat

X

— ■

—

B,.

—

flat

—

X

—

X

—

Bj.,

X

Ihit

X

~

—

X

X Positive.

— Negative reaction.

HY R. GRElG-SillTH.

39

Races of Enterococcus,

Growth

on agar

and gelatin.

X X X

Acid from

Milk clot.

6

13 I

No.

■X.

X X X

<4J

m

g 3

o

c3

CO

Lactose.

i

,x

X

Str. i. Str. ii. Str. iii.

scanty, scanty, scanty.

X

X X

X

X X X

X X

—

X X X

X

X Positive. — Negative reaction.

The pliysiological characters of the bacteria which have no action upon gelatine, wliich are negative to the Gram stain, vvliich reduce nitrate to nitrite, and which form indol in peptone salt solution, differ so gradually from one anotlier that it appears probable that they have been derived from a common type or ancestor, and have become altered by various conditions of environment. It appears to be simply a question of research to obtain all giaduations from an absolutely positive to an abso- lutely negative race. It is therefore difficult to fix a race to any one name. The absolutely positive races are undoubtedly Bac. coli communis, but the absence of any one, or even more than one positive character, is not sufficient to differentiate the race, for the character may be only temporarily lost. Some work which is in progress upon the permanency of these race- characters shows that this is the case. One of the typical characters of a bacterium is its motility, but an absence of motility may have been noted in a faulty medium or at a wrong time. For example, B^^ was non-motile at first, but after culti- vation for some weeks in the laboratory, it became actively motile. It therefore appears to be a mistake to include a race under the name Bac. coli immobilis. The regeneration of the one chaT:acter in the case of B indicates that, under favourable circumstances, other negative characters may become positive.

40 THE BACTKRIAL FLORA OF RACHITIC STOOLS.

For this reason, the races in the table have been classified as follows — Bj to Bg, Bac. coli communis; B- to B^j, atypical coli; and B12 to Bj,,, indeterminate.

Tlie streptococci fell into three groups, called Str.i., ii., and iii., all probably races of the same organism. No.i. is of the salivary type, inasmuch as it ferments (i.e., produces acid from) saccha- rose but not from mannit. No.ii. is Sir. acidi laclici, which, according to Sittlei,* is identical with the Enterococcus .so frequently mentioned by writers upon the flora of infants' stools.

The following are the analyses of the stools, the numbers of bacteria being expressed in percentages. The notes are by Dr. Storie Dixson (Infants' Hospital) : —

A. J., aged 12 weeks. Incipient Rickets.

MacConkey's medium ... Bg, 100

Endo's medium ... ... B.^, 20; Str. i. and ii., 80

Acid agar ... ... ... Bg, 95; Micr. candidns, 5

Alkaline agar ... ... ) „, .. ,,.^

® . ) &tr. 11., 100

Glucose-agar (anaerobic) ... j

Acidit}' of stool ... ... 1 grm. =0.6 c.c. y^ acid

Typical bacterium = line, coli communis. Typical streptococcus = Str. ii.

Notes. — Outpatient, incipient rickets, only came once. 11/8/09.

H.M., aged 1 year and 8 months. Convalescent from acute Rickets.

MacConkey's medium ... 1

Endo's medium ... ... B.^lOO

Acid agar .. .. ... )

Alkaline agar ... ... ) ^i. ••• i aa

° Stf. Ill, 100

Glucose-agar (anaerobic) ... !

Acidity of stool ... ... 1 gr, n. = 1-5 c.c. j-^ acid (very

jicid witli strong fjecal .smell)

*C:entrl. fiir Bakt. Orig. 47. 16.

BY K. GKEIG-SMITH. 41

Typical liacterium = Bac. coli communis. Typical streptococcus = Str. iii.

Notes. — Outpatient, came for treatment on 6/5/09, very characteristic ■shape of head, severe vomiting and diarrhoea, motion sent 19/8/09. At 17 months of age anterior fontanelle was over ^ inch wide at widest part.

L.S., aged 11 months.

MacConkey's ruedium ... B,. 100

Etido's medium ... ... B^. .30; B^g 5; Str. iii., 6-5

Acid lactcse-agai- ... ... Bg 1.5; Str. iii., 85

Alkaline a^ar

> Str. iii.,

100

Glucose-agar (anaerobic)

A';idity of stool ... ... 1 grin. = 0 1 c.c. ^^^ acid

Typical bacterium = Bac. coli communis (immobilis). Typical streptococcus = Str. iii.

Notes— Inpatient, 'admitted 26/7/09, motion sent 19/10/09. Indications of rickets only slight.

V. B., aged 1 year and 8 months. Convalescent from sliglit Rickets.

MacConkey's medium ... B^^ 90; B^^^ 10

Eiido's medium B^g, 19; Bi ^^ 1; Str. i., 80

Acid lactose-agar ... ... B^^ 20; Str. i., 80

Alkaline glucose-agar ... Str. i., 100

Aciility of stool ... ... lgrm.:=0 3cc. y^ acid

Typical bacterium^ indeterminate. Tj'^pical streptococcus=;Str. i.

Notes : -Inpatient admitted 23/3/09, motion sent 19/10/09. Symptoms of rickets only slight.

31. E., aged 1 year and 2 months. Convalescent from acute Rickets.

MacConkey's medium ... B- 100

Endo's medium ... ... B- 88; Str. i., 12

Acid lactose-agar ... ... B^ 100

Alkaline agar ... ) ^, . , ^^

<jrlucose agar (anaerobic) j

42

THE BACTERIAL FLORA OF RACHITIC STOOLS,

Acidity of stool ... ... i grm. ^0'4 c.c. ~ acid

Typical bacterium=atypical coll.. Typical streptococcusr=Str. i.

NoTE.s: — Outpatient, first treated 23/3/09, severe rickets, motion sent 18/8/09, by wliich time the severe sweats, pallor and diarrhoea had long dis- appeared. Though now 14 months old, was only beginning to cut its teeth (six appearing almost simultaneously). A brother, 4 years of age, had a very characteristic form of head, and the other children of a family of six had all died early in life.

D. 8., aged 9 months. Pronounced Rickets. MacConkey's medium ... B^ 70; B^g 30 Endo's medium ... ... Bj 85;By^ 12; Bac. vulgaris, 3

Acid lactose-agar ... ... B^q 86; B^ 14

Nutrient agar Bi,,^ 28; B- 12; Str. iii., GO

Alkaline lactose agar ... Str. ii., 25; Str. iii., 75 Glucose-agar (anaerobic) ... B^,, 30; Bac. vulgaris, 5; Str.ii.jGS- Acidity of stool ... ... 1 grm.^0-3 c.c. ~ acid

Typical bacterium=indeterminate : coli ( immohilis ) : : 3 : 2 Typical streptococcus:=Str. iii.

D.S. : tliree days later.

MacConkey's medium ... B,;;_100

Endo's medium B^.-QS; B^^^ 2

Acid lactose-agar ... ... B^., 50; Str. iii, 50

Nutrient agar ... ... Bj., 94, Str. iii., 6

Alkaline lactose-agar ... B^.^ 50; Str. ii., 50 Nutrient gelatin ... ... Bj;. 100

Enriclied in glucose-bile salt bouillon (anaerobic) then Endo's medium ... ... B^ 50; B^,, 50

Nutrient agar ... ... Bj 98; B-^ 2

Acidity of stool ... ... 1 grm.=0-4 c.c. ^-^ acid

'J'ypical bacterium =indeterminate. Typical streptococcus=Str. iii.

Notes -.-Inpatient, admitted 30/8/09, motions sent 1/9/09 and 4/9/09. Very characteristically shaped head, motions brown and relaxed, but though these rapidly lost their relaxed nature, they remained browner than usual in infants.

BY R. GREIG-SMITH. 4.?

This is the only case where very pronounced rickets was present when the motion was sent and the patient only just beginning to be treated.

All the above infants had the characteristic head, and though two were only mild cases, the others had been fairly severe.

The bacterial flora uf tliese stools is varied, but the relative preponderance of Bac. coll, communis in some of the stools, and especially in the case of the infant of twelve weeks (A.J.), raised the suspicion that a coZi-intoxication may have some influence otie wa}' or another, either in establishing or accelerating the disease. The examination, howev'er, of stools from healthy children showed that this was not the case, as in these, the races of the co/t-group were well represented.

The analyses of the stools of a few healthy children are as follows : —

P.H., aged 15 months.

MacConkeys medium ... Bg, 95; Bi-,5

Endo's medium Bg, 90; B5, 5; B^,, "j

Acid lactose-agar ... ... B5, 100

Alkaline lactose-agar ... No growth

Nutriejit agar B-, 100

Acidity of stool ... ... 1 grm. ^neutral

Typical bacteria m=;5ac. coll communis (immobllis). Typical streptococcus=none.

A. T., aged 10 months.

MacConkey's medium ... B^,* 100

Endo's medium B^, 50; B^q, 50

Acid lactose-agar ... ... Bj^, 63; B^^, 7; 8tr. ii., 30

Alkaline lactose-agar ... Str. ii., 100

Nutrient agar B^q, 40; Str. ii., 60

Acidity ... Neutral

Jypical bacterium;^ Z>ac. coll comimmis. Typical streptococcus^Str. ii.

*It is evident that B^ was indistinguishable from B^^, on MacConkey's medium and nutrient agar, both of which probably contained a mixture of the two races. This mixture is shown on Endo's medium.

B,, 100

44 THK BACTERIAL FLOKA OF RACHITIC STOOLS,

A.W., aged 14 months. MacConkey's medium Endo's medium Acid lactose-agar ... Nutrient agar Alkaline lactose-agar ... White sarcina, 100 Acidity ... ... ... Neutral

Ty|)ical bacterium=atypical coli : Bac. colt conmmuis : : 5 : 3 Typical streptocoocus=none.

S.B., aged 5 mouths.

MacConkey's medium ... B,., 98; B^, 2

Endo's medium Bg, 100

Acid lactose-agar ... ... B^, 98; B^, 2

Alkaline lactose agar ... No growth Nutrient agar ... ... B^, 100

Acidity ... ... ... 1 grui.=04 c.c. j~ acid

Typical bacterium = Z?ac. coli coinmunis {immohilis). Typical streptococcus=noiie.

The analyses show that the flora of the dejecta of normal children is very much the same as that of tlie children affected with rickets, so far as the bacteria of the co^i-group are concerned. But there is a difference in the comparative absence of the streptococci.

These were rather conspicuous in the stools of the cases of rickets, growing even on Endo's medium, and thus in the analyses they were prominently brought before one. Such was not the case with the normal children, and indeed it is with regard to the streptococci that an}' difference can be found between the dl.5- eased and the healthy condition.

According to Tissier,* ths Eaterococcus, the chief strepto- coccus of the rachitic stools, can withstand an acidity of from 2 to 2'45, while Bac. coli succumbs when 1-73 is reached. From this we infer that it is capable of producing a relatively greater

' Annales de I'lnstitut Pasteur 19, 109.

BY K. GKElG-SMlTll. 45

amount of acid. In the duodenum and upper partsi of the intestine of normal children the contents are slightly acid and contain coccal forms almost to the exclusion of the rod forms. Further and further down the tract, the hacilli become more and more evident until, in the rectum, the cocci are comparatively rare and the rod forms predominate (Tissier). This is rather important, and is in agreement with the bacteriological analyses of the healthy stools, in the majority of which no streptococci were found. The fact that streptococci are more in evidence in the stools of rachitic children shows that they persist for a greater distance down the tract and that they are in relatively theater numbers all along the canal. Their greater numbers indicate a more acid condition of the intestinal contents, but it is difficult to say whether they are the cause or the effect. Pro- bably a vicious cycle has been set up.

The rod bacteria thrive well upon sugar-free media, such as nutrient agar, w^hile the streptococci grow better upon saccharine media, and form verj' scanty growths in media devoid of sugar. This appears to show that in cases of rickets in which strepto- cocci predominate, the sugar derived from the food is in e.Kcess, and the proteid is deficient in the intestinal contents. This is in agreement with the experience of medical practitioneis who, in treating cases of rickets, pre.scribe an alteration of the diet, increasing the proteids and the fat, and diminishing the carbo- hydrates. The effect of the increased proteid would be to increase the relative number of the co^i-bacteria, while the diminution of the carbohydrate would further accentuate the difference by decreasing the streptococci. The increased fat woidd supply the necessary energy and heat, and at the same time offer a less favourable pabulum for the growth of the streptococci.

The case in favour of the streptococci being associated with the disease is not, however, absolutely clear. Their occurrence in the convalescent cases may weaken the argument. It is true that in two of the stools they were of the salivary type, but the third contained Str. iii., which was the typical race in the instance

46 THE BACTERIAL FLOHA OF RACHITIC STOOLS.

of pronounced I'ickets. There is also the occurrence of Str. ii. in one of the normal stools.

It is probable that, as in all other biological phenomena, we must take into account the idios3'ncrasy of the individual, some being able to tolerate a relative excess of streptococci while others cannot.

On the whole, there is some reason for believing that the occurrence of a preponderance of streptococci in the stools of rachitic children is associated with the disease.

47

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27th, 1910.

The Ordinary Monthly Meeting of the Society was held in the Linnean Hall, Ithaca Road, Elizabeth Bay, on Wednesday evening, April 27th, 1909.

Mr. C. Hedle}^ F.L.S., President, in the Chair.

Mr. A. S. Le Souef, C.M.Z.S., &.c., Zoological Gardens, Sydney, and Dr. Robert Henry Pulleine, Adelaide, S.A., were •elected Ordinary Members of the Society.

In taking farewell of Mr. E. J. Goddard, B.A., B.Sc, on his retirement from a Linnean Macleay Fellowship, to fill the position of Professor of Zoology and Geology at Victoria College, Stellen- bosch, South Africa, the President, on the Society's behalf, tendered to Mr. Goddard heart}' congratulations on his appoint- ment, and all good wishes for his success in his new sphere of work. As Mr. Goddard iioped to continue and extend his work on freshwater Annnlates, he would still be glad to be supplied with Australian specimens.

The President offered the Societj^'s congratulations to Dr. H. G. Chapman, to whom the Syme Prize for 1910, for the encour- agement of Research Work in Natural Science, had recently been awarded by the University of Melbourne.

The President made reference to the recent death of Mr. F. W. Petterd, of Launceston, a Member of the Society, and also a member of the Chevert Expedition to New Guinea, in 1875.

The Donations and Exchanges received since the previous Monthly jNteeting, amounting to 20 Vols., 58 Parts or Nos., 33 Bulletins, I Report and 18 Pamphlets, 1 Map, received from 50 Societies, ifec, and 2 Individuals, were laid upon the table.

48

NOTES AND EXHIBITS.

Mr. Cheel showed fruits of tomato {Li/cope7-sicum esculentiim)^ infested with the Sleeping Disease {Fusarium lycopersici Sacc), found at Penshurst. Cases of this disease were previously found at Gosford in December, 1899, by Mr. Froggatt, and afterwards by the late Mr. A. Grant among plants growing in the Botanic Gardens, Sydney, in February and April, 1903. In Great Britain, according to Mr. Massee, the disease causes very great damage to tomato-crops.

Mr. Tillyard exhibited a larva of St/ntheniis eustalaeta Burm., (Neuroptera : Odonata) which had been without food for three months, and had been subjected to gradual drought-condition.s culminating in three weeks of complete absence of water. The insect was still alive and quite healthy. Tliree others, though apparently lifeless when first examined, quickl}' revived when dropped into water. This seemed to be the first absolute proof of the ability of any dragonfly larva to stand a complete drought.

Mr. T. H. Johnston showed a fine specimen of a tomato affected by the Irish Blight-fungus {Phytophthora infestans). The exhibit was grown in the Sydney district. Though it is well known that tomatoes are susceptible to this potatodisea.se, infected fruits are very seldom met with, though tomato-plants may be growing side by side with potatoes which are badly blighted.

Mr. Fred Turner exhibited, and offered observations on^ two- species of Chenopodiacece, viz., Auisacantha divaricata R.Br., and Sclerohena bicornis Lindl.,from theBrewarrina district, New South Wales. On one pastoral holding three years ago only a few scattered shrubs of the former were to be found; now they were to be seen covering an area of twenty-five thousand (25,000) acres to the

NOTES AND EXHIBITS. 49

exclusion of almost any obher plant. Some few years ago, when botanising near Blacktown, with the late Honorable Dr. James Norton, M.L.C., he fouad two plants of Anisacantha, divaricata R.Br.; but there was no doubt that the seeds had been brought from the western country in railway trucks that conveyed shee|i to the Riverstone meat-works. As far as he was aware, that was the first time this species had been found growing on the eastern side of the Dividing Range. In the interior stockmen call the spiny fruits of various species of Anisacantha " bindy- hies," which are often a terror to those who camp out. Sclero- Icena bicornis Lindl., had spread very much during recent years in some parts of the Brewarrina district. This plant is disliked by pastoralists on account of its spiny fruits. Some varieties of this species have strong, and very sharp spines more than half an inch long.

Mr. Fletcher asked if any Member could furnish him with references to scientific records of the occurrence of freshwater eels in the creeks of Norfolk Island, as he had been unable to ascertain that ichthyologists had had the opportunity of examin" ing specimens from this locality. Nevertheless Lieutenant King, who commanded the party which first colonised the island, both in his "Description of Noi'folk Island,"* and in his Journal,! speaks definitely about them. As the common freshwater eel (Anguilla australis Rich.) had been recorded from Lord Howe Island (Australian Museum Memoirs No.2, pp.20 and 72), it was worth investigating whether conditions at Norfolk Island had

*"The island is well supplied with many streams of very fine water, many of which are sufficiently large to turn any number of mills. These springs are full of very large eels." [Description of Norfolk Island, by Lieut. -Governor King, 10th January, 1791. Historical Records, Vol. i.,. Part 2, p 429].

t " The island is well supplied with many streams of very fine water, .some of which are sufficiently large to run any number of mills : it is pro- bable that most of these rivulets originate from springs near Mount Pitt. . . . . All these streams abound with very fine eels." [Lieut. King's Journal, in Hunter's Historical Journal, 1793, p.3S9].

4

50 NOTES AND EXHIBITS.

altered, resulting in the disappearance of the eels, or whether they were still to be met with.

The Secretary intimated that, at the next Meeting, he proposed to initiate discussion upon the application of Jordan's Law, or the Law of Geminate Species, to the case of the Australian fauna and flora — "Given any species, in any region, the nearest related species is not to be found in the same region nor in a remote region, but in a neiglibouring district separated from the first by a barrier of some sort or at least by a belt of country, the breadth of which gives the effect of a barrier." Members were asked to furnish examples of geminate species, and to throw light upon the character of the barriers which prevail.

51

CONTRIBUTION TO A KNOWLEDGE OF AUSTRA- LIAN HIRUBINKA. Part v. LEEcii-MKTAMERiSM.

By E. J. GoDDAKD, B.A., H.Sc, Lixnean Macleay Felt.ow of

THE Society in Zoology.

(Plate iii.)

The subject of '• Metamerism in the Hirudiiiea " has for a long time attracted the attention of workers on the group. It has long been known that the annuli which appear on the surface of the leech do not represent true segments or metanieres, but that in each genus more or less typically a certain number represent conjointly the limits of a somite. The number of annuli thus entering into the constitution of a somite is, as a rule, constant fundamentally in each genus, although in connection with the extension of the somite variations may take place in the various species of a genus. This, however, happens in but few genera in comparison with the number in which the numbfi- of annuli entering into the formation of the " unabbreviated " somites is constant, and characteristic of the genus. At either extremity of the bod}' are found "abbreviated" somites, that is, segments wliich do not comprise the full number of annuli as found enter- ing into the formation of the complete somite which is present in the middle region of the body. These " aljbreviated " somites, when their exact limits have been carefully mapped out, throw much light on the mode of formation and order of origin of the annuli, as we |iass from the hypothetical primitive and uni- annulate conditi n\ of the somite. For our present day concp.p- tion of the limit of the somite we are indebted mainly to Castle iind Moore.

52 ALiSTKALIAN HIRUDINEA, V.,

From a study of the nervous system it is evident that 34 somites are represented potentially in the body of all members of the Hiradinea, the number of these visible on external examina- tion of the leech being always much less. In the ventral nerve-chain lie 21 distinct, norn)al, ganglionic masses, and in addition at either extiemity lies a much swollen ganglionic mass. These latter terminal aggregations of the ventral chain represent the fused ganglia of 13 somites, of which those represented in the anterior terminal mass are represented externally as "abbre- viated" somites at the anterior extremity of the body. The somites denoted by the capsules of the posterior terminal gangli- onic mass are not represented externally on the body as segments. From this we can conclude that the missing somites of the posterior extremity are represented in all the various groups of the Hirudinea by the posterior sucker; and, furthermore, that in the Ichthyohdellidce a number of tlie anterior somites are repre- sented in the "capula." In support of this it may be stated that the posterior sucker often shows a faint annulation, and the same is often to be noted in connection with the capula of the Ichthyohdellidfp.. Again, it is only by this means that we can make the position of the genital npertures in the Ichthyobdellidm coincide within somite-limits with that found in the Glossi- phoniidoi, GnathohdelUdce, and Ileiyohdellidce, inasmuch as the genital apertures in the IchtJiyohdellidai are more anteriorly situated, if one leckons from the first visible annulus behind the capula.

If we are to regard the Hirudinea as having been descended from an Oligochaetan stock, we must regard the ancestral form as a uniannulate worm whose body consisted of 34 distinct somites. More will be said in r-eference to this after the descrip- tion of the somitic constitution of a number of forms which I have had the opportunity of examining.

In a study of various genera in which the number of annnli entering into the constitution of a typical somite is different, one has some opportunity of deciding definitely the order of origin of

J5Y K. J GODDARD. 53

•the annuli, and the significance of the same as bearing on the generic importance of that annulation. In my studies in this connection I have assumed the uniannulate condition as being the primitive one, and in this subject for consideration the question is raised as to which annulus of the somite represents potentially that hypothetical primitive ring.

Tn many leeches there occur, on special annuli, certain sensory ~ papilliB which are more important and prominent than au}^ others which may be developed on the remaining annuli, and these papillae serve as an indication of the somite-arrangement and constitution. Among other externals which are of the same assistance may be mentioned the nephridiopores, whose position relative to that of the main sensory papillae is constant. It was ■only natural that these two structures should have been taken by •earlier workers as external signs of the metamerism, as it was read ily corroborated by a study of the central nervous system; and it can be readily understood that Whitman should have assumed that the annulus bearing the sensory papillae represented the first ring of a somite (this annulus carrying also the nerve ganglia), and that the nephridial aperture lay in the last annulus of the .somite. Whitman's idea in this connection was upheld until Castle, in 1900, came to the conclusion, from a detailed study of . •the nervous system, that the limits of a somite were to be recog- nised from a knowledge of the neuromerism, and from a study of this he came to the conclusion that the sensory annulus repre- sented in general not the first but the middle or potentially middle annulus of the somite. He has further worked out the order of abbreviation, etc., at either end of the body, pointing out that the sensory ring was the most stable of the component annuli of the somite, and that the other annuli were in the first place derived from this sensory annulus by divisions of it anteriorly and posteriori}'.

Castle's conclusions have, in the main, been supported very strongly by l^ivanow's excellent detailed work on the nervous system.

54 AUSTKALIAN IIIKUDINEA, V.,

Ill view of the results obtained by tliese worivers, the opinion' of present day students n;ust be that the sensory annulus denotes the nii<ldle or potentially middle annulus of the somite.

I have had occasion, in mapping out the soinitic constitution of various Australasian representatives of the group, to test Wliitman's and Castle's methods of determiuing somite-limits, and the conclusions are interesting in that they show that con- siderable variation takes place in various genera regarding the manner of origin of the annuli; and that, while Castle's conclu- sions are found to V)e correct in the greater number, in other forms there is a yreat divergence from the conditions which obtain in the formei'. From a study of these, the importance of the somitic constitution as a generic character has i)een found to depend on the manner of the origin of the annuli.

LiiimobdeUa aitstj-alis. — This leech, iov all practical purposes as far as this discussion is concerned, niay be considered as belonging to the genus Hirudo, inasmuch as it has the same number of annuli, same pentannulate somite, position for the eyes and genital apertures, same number and position of nephridio- pores, and the general auatoniy is very closely related. Con- sequently, we can safely conclude that it has the same somitic constitution throughout as in those forms which would fall within the limits of the genus Hiriido in its more narrowed sense. In this way we can derive a.ssistancein the study of the metamerism of Limnohdella auairalis, inasmuch as we find metameric sense- papillae very well developed in such forms as Hirudo inedicinaiis, and one can most legitimately use the position of the.se structures as if they were present in L. australis itself. What is now to 1)6 stated in comiection with the metamerism of L. australis applies equally well to all species of the Hir^idinea which would IaW within the limits of the diagnostic characters of Hirudo in its wider sense; that is, all species which possess 102 annuli, and have the eyes situated on annuli 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8, and the genital apertures situated in annuli 30, 35, and 36 respectively,

BY E. J. GODDARD.

55

According to Whitman's scheme and Castle's scheme respec- tively, we find the metamerism of the anterior extremity to be as follows : —

Somite.

Annuli(AVhitman).

Annuli(Castle).

ii. iii. iv.

V.

vi,

vii. viii.

1

2

3, 4

5. 6, 7

8, 9, 10 11, 12, 13 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 19, 20, 21, 22, 23

1 2

3, 4 5, 6

7, 8, 9 10, 11, 12 13, 14, 15, 16 17, 18, 19, 20, 21

It is now regarded by most workers on the group that the somite consisting of a few annuli is more primitive than that which is multianniilate, and with this view I am in accord. This view is then, in efiect, that aunulation of the segment is a secondary character. Consequently when we find two annuli intimately fused we must regard this state of affairs as the result of an incomplete differentiation and not of abbreviation.

Now we find in L. australis that annuli 5, 6, and 7, 8 are well diiferentiated from each other respectively on the dorsal side, but they are fused ventrally. This shows clearly that 5 and 6 belong to one and tlie same somite, 7 antl 8 to another somite. This being so, it must then be concluded that the sense-papillae repre- sented by the eyes situated on annnlus 8 do not lie on the first annulus of the somite. If Whitman's scheme applied in this case, then we should have th« absurdity of an annulus in one somite originating from that in another somite. In the table given above, I consider the annuli as distributed according to Castle's scheme to be the correct one. On the assumption that, at the extremities, we find the somite developing through the same stages through which the pentannulate somite passed, and that no " fusion " has taken place at all, we find that somite iv. consists of two annuli of which the first is sensory; the second annulus has arisen posterior to this annulus, but, inasmuch as it

56 AUSTRALIAN HIRUDINEA, V.,

is Still fused with it ventrally, the differentiation is not yet com- plete. In somite v., we find there are three annuli, the middle one of which is the sensory annulus; the posterior ring of the somite is quite distinct dorsally and ventrally from the sensory ring, but the anterior annulus is still fused ventrally with, or rather not yet differentiated from, the sensory ring. Passing now to somite vi., we Hnd the segment consisting still of three annuli, all distinct from each other. In somite vii., there are four annuli, the sensory ring being placed second; and in somite viii., we find the first complete nuniVjer of annuli.

From these facts it will l)e seen that we have a complete series showing the development from the uniannulate somite of the extremity of the bod}' to that which is pentannulate; and in L. australis we get clearly the order of development of the annuli in the somite, a fact which is most important in connection with the condition of the complete somite. It will be seen, from the facts stated above, that the sensory annulus gives rise by division to another annulus posteriorly, later another anteriorly; then a fourth develops at the posterior extremity of the somite, and finally a fifth annulus at the anterior extremity. This is exactly in keeping with the ideas of Whitman, Bristol, and Castle in this direction.

OrobdeUa. — This Japanese genus is represented by three species of which 0. Whitmani is tetrannulate, 0. Jjimai has six, and 0. octonaria has eight annuli entering into the formation of the " unabbreviated " somite. We may reasonably regard 0. Whit- mani as exhibiting the most primitive condition as regards the constitution of the somite for the genus. As it has been shown, in the case of Philcemon, Pontobdella, and Ozobranchus, that the sensor)' annulus represents the third ring of the adult tetrannu- late somite, we may, with every reason, conclude that the same liolds in 0. Whitmani. This means that in this species the ganglion of the ventral chain in the middle region of the Ijody is found in the third annulus of the somite, and the nephridiupores on tlie posterior margin of the second annulus.

BY E. J. GODDARD. 57

Considering now the three species of Orohdella from this stand- point, and examining the genital region, we find that the male genital poi-e in the species is situated in i-eference to the sensory annulus as follows : —

0. Whitmani in 2nd annulus anterior to ganglion.

0. Ijimai in 3rd 0. octonaria in 4th

9>

The nephridiopores are situated in 0. Whitmani and 0. Ijhnai -on the posterior margin of the annulus preceding that in which the ganglion lies. In the case of 0. octonaria the ganglia lie in two annuli, and the nephridiopores on the posterior margin of the annulus preceding the more anterior of these two annuli, so that we may conclude that the same two annuli represent the sensory annulus of 0. Whitmani and 0. Ijimai, and further that the nephridiopores occupy the same relative position as in the latter two species. Again, from the fact that the ganglion is so situated in 0. octonaria, we may conclude from comparison with the other two species that the sensory annulus remained quite stable as regards somite-extension or increased annnlation in the passage of the somite from the tetrannulate condition of 0. Whitmani to that exemplified in 0. Ijimai with its somite com- posed of six annuli. Later, however, in the passage to the con- dition of the somite composed of eight annuli this sensory annulus underwent division as shown in the manner above described in O. octonaria. In tlie diagram shown in illustration of this I have attempted to map out the order of origin of the annuli. Somite-extension more readily affects the extreme annuli of the somite, and we find that the anterior and posterior annuli of the tetrannulate somite have divided to give rise to the somite of six annuli. One may prove this by stating that, in the Hirudinea in general, the terminal annuli are more prone to divide; that, further, the sensor}' annulus, for reasons given above, appears not to have been concerned in this stage; that the genital aper- ture lies in the third annulus in front of the cansHon in 0. Ijimai instead of being found in the second annulus reckoned in

^S AUSTRALIAN HIKUDINEA, V.,

the same way in 0. Wliitmaul, thus proving that another annulus has Keen achied in front of the sensory annulus, and this coukl have taken place only hy division of annulus 1, and not of annulus 2; that another annulus has been added at the posterior region, and only annulus 4 could have been concerned in this. In considering the passage now from the somite of six annuli to that of eight annuli we find, as shown above, that the sensory annulus has divided, and that no further annulus has been added posteriorly. The only point to consider now is whether la, lb, or 2 lias divided to give rise to the extra annulus anterior to the ganglion. As the sensory ring is usually so stable, but has been proved to divide in this case, it would seem very probable that a division has taken place in 2 also. The order of appearance of these annuli would then appear to be as shown in the diagrams illustrating the constitution of these species. (Plate iii., figs. lA, IB, IC.)

Pontobdella macrotltela Schmarda. — The specimen of this species which I had the opportunity of examining, offered special interest for the study of the somite in that genus, inasmuch as the limits of the somite are verj' clearly shown on external examination without entailing any reference to papillae, etc. In this species the somite is triannulate, and the annuli con- stituting the somite consist of one very wide, and two equally small. The annuli are found to be arranged so that the large ring is very intimately bound up with a small one anterior to it, and another posteriorly situated. The line of division between any two small annuli is denoted by a very strongly marked groove so clearly that, on a very casual glance, one could easily determine the limits of a somite without reference to papill;t\ The annuli are all provided with prominences, but, in the case of the large annuli, the arrangement and importance of develop- ment are quite ditierent. It is this large annulus which corres- ponds to the large papuliferous annuli of other species of Fontoh- delJa, such as P. aust raliensis and P. muricafa. The only abbre- viated somites to be noted occur towards the posterior extremity, and here it is found that a biannulate somite is represented by a

iJV E. J. GODDAKD. 59*

large anterior anuulus (sensor}'), and a small posterior annul us. This constitution for a biannulate somite is l)y far the commoner in all members of the Ilirudiuf".

In some cases the somite of I'oufobdella consists of four annul i, and then, says Castle, "Apparently, however, it is at the anterior end, for in these animals which I have had an opportunity to- examine, the new ring appears to he united more closely with the ring which precedes than with that which follows a sensory ring. Moreover the riug which piecedes the sensory ring is usually not so broad as the one wliicii follows it. This is an indication that it is the former rather than the latter wldch has undergone division." I have not yet had the opportunity of examining a species of Pontohdella in which thu souiite consists of four annuli, but Castle's observations show very clearly that in such forms the third aunulus is the sensory ring.

Ozohranchihs hranchiatus. — Lately I have had the opportunity of examinitig specimens of this form, and, inasmuch as the species has not been noticed and examined in detail since Menzies described it in 1791, the metamerism of such a species, since the nature of the leech-body morphologically has been variously interpreted since that time, should offer some little interest.

In the " neck "-region of the young individual eight distinct somites can lie made out, ami, judging from the intimacy of the connection of the annuli, the limits of a somite are clearly marked off. Eauh somite consists of an anterior annul u.s which is twice the size of a posterior small annulus. In most instances, also, but particularly in the posterior region of the " neck," there is a more than faint indication of division in the large anterior annulus, so that the somite is foreshadowed in its triannulate condition. This fact shows that the large anterior annulus represents within itself potentially the original primitive annulus of the uniannulate somite; further, that the posterior annulus of the somite is formed and definitel}^ diti'erentiated before traces of the anterior annulus can be made out; and, again, the middle annulus of the triannulate somite represents the primitive ring. This is in keeping with what is to be observed in most cases in

60

I'fgard to the order of development of annuli towards the consti- tution of a triannulate somite, namely, that the annuli are developed alternately posteriorly and anteriorl)' to the sensory annulus. The anterior extremit}'^, or " head," although not forming a distinct " capula " as in other Ichthj'obdellids, represents a number of fused annuli or somites whose lines of ■division are not shown externally on the lijody-surface, beyond that the margin of the " head " is furrowed as far as the midline.

Semilageneta HUH. — In my original description of this genus I pointed out that the somite was triannulate, and that the limits of the somites were denoted in the anterior part of the body by the presence of distinct papilhe, and in the remaining body- portion by the outline of the body which was divided into segmental regions, consisting of three annuli, by well marked sulci. These areas I still consider to represent distinct somitic divisions. Passing forwards from xii., which is the first of the somites thus marked off, we find xi. triannulate and carrying papillae on the first and not on the second or middle annulus- This distribution of the papillae then agrees with Whititian's plan' and not with that of Castle.

Addendum to original description. — I originally placed Semi- lageneta among the Glossiphoniidiv, but, judging from the po.sition of the genital aperture, it should find its place among the Ichthy- obdeUida:'. The nature of the anterior extremity, however, is distinctly intermediate between that found in the IcJithyohdellidm and G/ossiphoniidce, there being no capula developed as in the former of these two groups.

PJiiloimoit pungens. — In examining some killed specimens of this species, n)y attention was attracted to a regular separation of groups of annuli on the ventral surface, and, strangely enough, these groups consisted of four annuli. The leech is readily seen to be tetrannulate from the distribution of the jiapilhie. The fuirows or gaps which occurred on the ventral surface, dividing off groups of foui' annuli, seem, then, to mark off the somite- limits, inasmuch as the number of annuli composing the groups

BY E. J. GODDARD. 61

was the same as tliat entering into the somitic constitution, and their presence seemed to denote a more intimate connection of the annuli composing each group, with each other than with the aunuli of another group.

On this reasonable assumption it was found that the sensory annulus was denoted by the third annulus of tlie somite. It has been definitely proved that the sensory annulus occupies the same position among two of the otlier three tetrannul ate forms — Pontohdella and Ozohranchti^ hranchiatiis — so that we can safely conclude that the somite-limits are thus definitely shown by the assistance given by the furrows mentioned above, and that the sensory annulus is the third ring of the adult somite.

Reasons will be advanced later to show that all the tetrannulate leeches are similarly constituted in this respect.

Geobdella tristriata. — In examining a single specimen of this newly ])roposed species, gaps somewhat similar to those observed in the case oi PhiUHmott ^j?t/i</e?is were noted, and these are evidently due to a buckling of the bodj^ as the resultant of the effect of the killing fluid. These I proved, in the case of Fhilcumon, to mark oS" the somite-limits, so that I have reasonabl}' concluded that the same holds in this case. Geobdella is a pentannulate genus. In the two Australian species there are well developed papillfe, but I was unable to detect any such structures in the killed specimen of G. tristriata. However, inasmuch as the eyes hi,ve the same disposition, and the number of annuli is the same in all species, I have legitimately made use of the disposition of the papillse as denoted in the other species, in mfipping out the position of the sensory annulus in G. tristriata. In the manner denoted above, the greater p.irt of the body is divided up into groups consisting of five annuli; and, by taking into account the position of tlie jiapillae in the other species and the position of any of the above-mentioned gaps, I found that the sensory annulus was denoted by the first annulus of the pentannulate somite. ^ It is interesting to note that in Philcemon and Geobdella, which anatomically are closely allied, the somite-limits were denoted in the peculiar manner indicated above. The fact that this occurs

•62 AUSTRALIAN HIKUDINEA, V.,

in botli, would seem to lend additional weight to the argument that the gaps do signify the dividing lines of the somites.

It is interesting to note that two of our Australian gen^-ra, Semilagetieta and Geobdella, which are thus unique among the Ilh'udinea, as far as we know at present, in that the somite- -extension lias alfectod 011I3' the posterior region of the somite, tlius leaving the sensory ring at the anterior extremity of the somite, have also other unique characters which are of some note. As mentioned previously, Seinilayeneta resetnl)les in many respects the Glossiphoniidce, and again the Ichthyubdellidce. It is a Rhynchobdellid leech, but does not find its place definitely in either of the two divisions of that group. Again, Geobdella \^ unique in that it possesses only two jaws and has the genital apertures separated by seven and a half rings although the somite is pentannulate. This latter peculiar character of Geobdella may be due in some measure to the unique manner in which the annuli have been generated in connection witli somite-extension.

Another noteworthy feature about Semilageneta is that there has been an absorption of somites at the anterior extremity, analogous to the fusion of the anterior somites to form the capula of the IcldhyobddlidK; and further, inasmuch as this absorption, judging fi-om the position of the genital apertures, could only have affected a few somites, tiiere must have been a great absorption of somites at the posterior extremity, since the number of somites represented externally is so very small in comparison with other leeches.

Semilageneta like Ozobranchns may yet have to be regarded as a type of a new family intermediate between the IchUhyobdellidm and the Glosniphoniidce.

Conclusions. — -We must resard the llirudinea as havins" been ^descended from an Oligochaetan-like worm which was uniannulate, and whose body consisted of 34 distinct somites. This represented the condition of the primitive ancestor of the grouj^, as it left the main stem of the phylogenetic tree of tiie Annulata. Special

BY K. J. GODDAUD. 63

Structures, such as the anterior aiil posterior suckers were -developed, and in the generation of these were concerned the segments at the anterior and posterior extremities. In this con- nection took place the fusion of the ganglia of the originnlly distinct segments at these extremities. The traces of annulation sometimes visible on the posterior suckers of members of the Ilirudinea in general, and sometimes on the capula of the IchthyohJelUdoe, support this view. Later came the necessity for the extension of the somite in order to enable of an extension of the body, and this represents tlie direct reason behind the annulation of the leech-body, inasmuch ts, apparently, the somite was incapable of giving rise to another distinct somite, or in other words there lias been no increase in the number of ganglia, although the nervous system has given rise to special branches for the innervation of the newly acquired annuli which are so supplied quite separately from the original primitive sensory annulus, which represented, in fact, a sensory unit. This extension of the sonite has bsen CDUcerned chief!}' in connection with the greater part of the Ijody which may be termed more or less "central." We tind the intermediate stages in the passage from the uniannulate to the midtiannidate stage represented in proper serial order, passing from either extremity to that portion of the body in which the complete annulation characteristic of the genus is found. In these intermediate somites we find the key to the order of development of the annuli, nnd this order, although very different in each of many genera, is constant in the species of any one genus. It may not be out of place to remark here, tliat we find in such forms as Ji ranchiohdella and B/e/lodrilas a representative very closely allied to the hypothetical primitive ancestor of the Hirudluea at the time of its leaving the mi,iii stem, or very soon after. These organisms, although certainly not members of the Hlrudinea, may represent in themselves, and probably do, examples of homoplasy, in that they have developed suckers; still the}' serve at the same time as examples of what has been said above.

64 AUSTRALIAN HIRUDINEA, V.,

Passing on from the uniannulate condition, we meet with Microbdella which is biannulate in the adult state of the snniite. In this case the second annulus has been added posterior to the sensory annulus. By the addition of another annulus anterior to these, we meet with the normal]}' developed triannulate adult somite which is so prevalent among the members of the Rhynckohdellidfe.

Mesobdella, a distinctly Arhynchobdellid leech, rejjresents the only member of that group, in which the somite retains its simple triannulate nature.

In some cases, however, \<'e find that the third annulus developed is posterior to the second; in other words, that the sensory annulus represents the tirst annulus of the somite; examples of this are found in only a few genera such as Semilagenetci and GeohdeUa. Such might well be expected as a variation even in the development of the " fundamental " tri- annulate somite, inasmuch as we tind considerable variation jn the order of development of the extra annuli in the evolution of the multiannulate somite. As far as I know, there is not one known instance among the Ilirudinea in which the second annulus of a somite is developed anterior to the sensory annulus. After this annulus has been developed, it would seem then that two lines allowing for variation are opened uj). In the majority of cases we find the third annulus developed anteriorly, but in some posterior to the second annulus. In the latter case, such as in Semilagenefa and Geobdella, we tind the sensory annulus represented by the tirst ring of the triannulate somite. The stimulus given to the exclusive division of the posterior annulus of the somite results in the formation, in Geobdella, of a pentannulate somite, the most anterior annulus of which is the sensory ring, and is to be regarded as representing potentially the primitive annulus of tiie somite.

In the following table is given a list, as complete as possible, of the more important of the known genera of the Hirudinea, and idicating the annulation of the various genera of the Ichthyol- dellidce, Glossiphoaiida'; IIerj)obdeUidce, and Gnathobdellidm.

BY E. J. GODDARD. 65

Order BhynchobdelliDvE. Suborder Ichthyobdellid.*:. Suborder Glossiphoniid.e.

Genus.

Annuli in Somite.

Branchellion 3

Ozobranclms { ^.^^eiy 4

PonfobdfUa 3 or 4

Ciistohranchiis 7

Trachylohdella ;■», 6

CallohdMa 6

Piscicola 1'2, 14

Semilageiieta 3

Genus.

Annuli in

Somite.

(j1o>i>iipli.on ia 3

Helobdella 3

Hcementeria \ '- . \

{ o ventral.

Plarobdella 3

ffe7niclep/<i>! 3

M icrobdeUit 2

Order Arhynchobdellid.e. Suborder Hkrpobdellid.e. Suborder Gnathobdellid.?;.

Genus.	Annuli in Somite.	• Genus.	Annuli in Somite.
Herpobdella .... Dina Trocheta Dinefa Orobdella	5 5 . 6,7,8,11 0 4, 6, 8	Hirudo Limnobdella Hirudobdella MacrobdeUa Philcfmon .		5 5 5 5 4
	Geobdella		.5
	Hd'inadipsn Mesobdella		5 ,3
	Xerobdella		5
	Cylicobdella Lumbricobdella ... Linmatis... Haemopis		5 5

In only four genera of the Ilirudinea is the complete .somite

known to consist of four annuli. In this category fall species of

Pontohdella, Ozohranchun Margoi, Orobdella Whitinani, and

Philcemon pungens. lu all these forms it appears that the

sensory annulus is represente(i by the third ring. This fact is of

some special interest in the study of the order of development of

the annuli from the uniannulate to the multiannulate condition

of the somite, especially as it bears directly on the question of 5

66 AUSTRALIAN HIRUDINEA, V.,

generic differences as regards tlie nature of the somite of the various leeches. It would seem that the order of the appearance of the annuli in these tetrannulate genera is different from that in such a pentannulate form as Hirudo, and furthetmore that this is very possibly the reason that these forms aie tetrannulate, etc., and not pentannulate. For example, in somite vii., of Liianobdeila australis, or in fact of any species which falls within the limits of the characters given for the old genus Hiriulo, we find four annuli. It is the second and nob the third annulus in the latter which represents the sensory ring. I liave already shown that somite iv. is biannulate, and somites v. and vi. triannulate in L. cntstralis, and that in the former somite the anterior ring is sensory and both its component annuli partlj^ fused. Again in somite v., the middle annulus is sensory and the anterior ring is partly fused with this, but the postei'ior annulus is distinctly differentiated. This shows clearly that the posterior annulus is the first non-sensory annulus to appear, and that the order of appearance of the various annuli of the somite is as follows : —

Annuli 12 3 4 5

Older of development ... e c a b d

As has been clearly shown in the case of species of Poutobdella, and Ozobranchus branchiatus, the fourth annulus of the somite is represented by the anterior annulus of the tetrannulate somite. The order of appearance of the various annuli would then be as follows :

Annuli 12 3 4

Order of development ... ... d c a b

Inasmuch as this holds in the case of all the Hirudinea in which the adult somite is tetrannulate, and the former order in the case of most pentannulate forms, it seems reasonable to conclude that the effect of this variation is reflected in the natux-e of the adult somite. In connection with this question I might mention that in HcenierUeria, we tind the somites triannulate dorsaliy but pentannulate ventrally. This condition evidently obtains in all

BY K. J. GODDAKD. 6T

specimens which may be deemed as mature, irrespective of details as regards age. From this we conclude that, in Hcementeria, the somite has not yet reached the pentannulate condition, and further that this state would be reached by a division, evidently simultaneous, of each of the terminal or non-sensory annuli of the triannulate somite. The order of development of the annuli would then be : — -

12 3 4 5

d c a b d

This order shows then again a variation from that which obtains in such pentannulate forms as Hirudo, ami is intermediate between that which obtains in the latter forms and such forms as Ozohranchus, PontobdelLa, Orohdella, and Philcenion. A point of further interest in connection with this is that the triannulate adult .somite is the prevalent condition among the Rhynchohdellidce, and tlie pentannulate among the Arhy nchobdellidce.

Hcementeria is the only member of the lihyachobellidce which shows any trace of the pentannulate somite, and occupying an equally UTiique position among the ArlcynchobdelUdce we find Mesobdella which is th« only member of the latter group in which the adult somite is triannulate. Both these genera then serve as intermediate forms between the Iihy)ichobdellidce and Arhynchoh- dellidce in connection with the nature of the somite.

Summari/.—Fvom facts and .statements given above, it may be concluded in general that the posterior region of the sensory somite is first aflfected in connection with somite-extension. Furtiier divisions may affect the posterior region exclusively as in Semilageneta and Geobdella, but in the majority of cases we find the anterior similarly aflPected. The fact that the division is proved to be restricted to the posterior region iu some forms is not astounding, (and is very interesting in keeping with the fact that the posterior annulus of the l)iannulate somite is the first non-sen.sory annidus developed in that it shows a distinct stimulus behind this region) in regard to division, and inasmuch as con- siderable variation takes place in the evolution of the multianu- late condition of the somite is but to ba expected. In the

68 AUSTRALIAN HIRUDINEA, V.

iiiajority of forms, however, as stated above, the anterior portion of the somite is affected after the addition of the first posterior annulus. Later divisions typically affect both extremities, or in some cases may be restricted, at least for a time, to the anterior extremity. Examples of the latter are to be found in those leeches in which the adult somite is tetrannulate. After the formation of terminal non-sensory annuli the sensory annulus is, as a rule) not affected, but sometimes is as a result of the inability of the terminal annuli to undergo further division.

In discussing the question of metamerism I have attempted to explain the nature of annulation in all the forms as the result of an action of extension. There is no scientific support behind the flat denial that " abbreviation " or fusion takes place. However, if such a process does occur, it is quite secondary in importance and by no means frequent in occurrence.

EXPLANATION OF PLATE III.

Figs. 1 A, IB, IC, — Diagrams showing the aiiangement of the annuli in the genital somite of Orohdella Whitmani, 0. Ijimai and 0. octonaria respectively, according to the scheme laid down in the text.

Figs.2A, 2B, 2C, — Diagrams of the same, showing the annuli of the genital segments arranged according to Whitman's scheme.

Jigs. 3 A, 3B, 3C, — Diagrams showing the arrangement of the annuli in Geobdella, Phikemon, and Fontobdella macrothela respectively.

69

CONTRIBUTION TO A KNOWLEDGE OF AUSTRA- LIAN HIRUDIXEA. Part vi.

The Distribution 0¥'snv.HiRUDiNEA,\yiTYi. Special Rkference TO Australian Forms, and Remarks on their Affinities,

TOGETHER WITH REFLECTIONS ON ZOOGEOGRAPHY.

By E. J. Goddard, B.A., B.Sc, Linnean Macleay Fellow of THE Society in Zoology,

Of the Australian forms enumerated in a list of species which I have made, at least five genera are characteristic of Australasia (in its ordinar}"^ geographical sense). Of these, three are aquatic genera — Semilageneta, Diiieta, and Hirudobdella; the remaining two genera, Geohdella and Phikevion, are land-forms. From this it will be seen that we have characteristic generic representatives of the IchthyohdellidcB (if Semilayeneta must be allotted a position under the present classification), Herpohdellidoi and Gnathoh- dellidcf. Some little interest attaches to Ozohranchus hranchiatus from a distributional standpoint, in that the onl}' other known species of the genus is that noted by Apathj^ in the Mediterra- nean Sea. In connection with this, I have previously stated that this genus is evidently always associated, under parasitical conditions, with members of the Chelonia, in contradistinction to the confinement of species of Branchellion to the Pisces. Chelone mydas, the host of Ozohranchus hranchiatus, is distributed over the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans, so that, in all possi- bility, this member of the Hirudinea has a very wide distriljution. Oka, in 1895, described a species from Japan which he doubtfully referi-ed to 0. Mendesi, and this, no doubt, is meant for 0. hran- chiatus. Unfortunately I have not had the opportunity of reading Oka's original paper, and have gleaned my information from a reference made by Moore. 6

70 AUSTRALIAN HIRUDINEA, VI.,

Branchellion, which is represented by at least three definite species in Australian waters, is a universally distributed genus, being noted from the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Pontohdella is likewise a cosmopolitan form, and is represented by at least one definite characteristic Australian species, Pontoh- della australiensis. P. macrothela was originally found by Schmarda in Jamaica, and Blanchard has noted the same species from Sumatra; so that the presence of this species in Australian waters would seem to indicate that it is universally distributed. Semilageneta, represented, up to the present time, by a single species known from no other part of the world, is interesting in that it is ap])arently intermediate between the Ichthyobdellid and Glossiphonid forms, as noted previously. No characteristic representative genus of the Glossiphoniidce is to be noted in Aus- tralasia. Three genera, Glossiphonia, Placobdella, and Microh- della have been found, the former in Australia and Tasmania, the latter two in New Zealand. The occurrence of Microbdella in the latter place is interesting, in that it was discovered almost exactly at the same time as Moore discovered and described the type-species, M. hianmdata, from Carolina, U.S.A. As I have previously pointed out, no terrestrial member of the Rhynchob- dellidcB has ever been noted in any part of the world, and, in view of this, the occurrence of these freshwater forms in Austra- lasia, in contradistinction to the limited distribution of the terrestrial members of the Hirudinea, serves as excellent corro- borative evidence of the cosmopolitan distribution of freshwater forms of life, which is due, no doubt, to a great extent to the means of transmigration offered by birds, etc.

Among the Herpohdellidce, we find in Australia the cosmo- politan genus Herpobdella, and a genus, Dlneta, confined, so far as is known, to Australia. The latter form, however, as has been noted previously, is very closely allied to the former, and, again, both these genera are freshwater forms.

The Gnathobdellid representatives fall into two groups, viz., aquatic and terrestrial. Among the former are comprised repre- .sentatives of three genera — Li7nnobdella, Hirudohdella, and

BY K. J GODDARD. 71

Hiruflo. Limnohdella australis of Australia and L. mauiana of New Zealand are exceedingly closely allied, and apparently they differ onl}' in colour -pattern, and perhaps slightly in dimensions. Their anatomy agrees in the points of difference as cited for the differentiation of the genus from the common genus llirudo. Whether we regard them as distinct species or not, their distri- bution is of some interest. Tn support of this, we find in New South Wales a new genus, Hirudobdella, which was originally discovered by Prof. Benham in New Zealand, in the form Hirudo antij)odum, which Prof. Benham himself thought must fall into a new genus. Limnohdella is known from other parts of the world, and so, like other freshwater forms, has a cosmopolitan distribution. Hirudubdella, represented up to the present by one New Zealand species and one Australian species, is also a freshwater form; and, |)robably, when viewed critically from the .standpoint of distribution, is to be regarded as a highly moditied subgeneric offshoot from the Hirudo-stock.

In considering the question of distribution, perhaps the most important members of the Australasian Hirudinea are the terrestrial genera, Philcemou and GeohdeUa. Before entering into a discussion of the affinity and distribution of these forms, it will perhaps not be out of place to point out the distribution of the terrestrial ArhynchohdeUidce tliroughout the world, with a view to pointing out the significance of their distribution in bearing on zoogeogiaphical questions.

The number of terrestrial species is very small: so far only eight genera are known, five of which belong to the Gnathob- dellidte and three to the Herpobdellidxe. The former include: —

Htemadipsa Tennent, 1861; Ceylon, India, Burmah, and Japan.

Xerohdella von Frauenfeld, 1868; mountains of Europe. Mesobdella Blanchard, 1893; Chili.

Geobdella Whitman, 1886; Australia and New Guinea. Philcemou Blanchard; Australia and Tasmania.

72 AUSTRALIAN HIRUDINEA, VI.,

The Uerpohdellidce include: — ■

Cylicobdella Grube, 1871; South America and West Indies.

Lumbricobdella "Kennel, 1886; South America aud West Indies.

Orohdella Oka, 1895; mountains of Japan.

Forbes, in 1890, also recorded the occurrence of a terrestrial species, in North America, of the genus Semiscolex, whose members are generally aquatic.

In comparing now the distribution of these forms with that of aquatic forms, it will be seen that the former are much more limited and do not enjoy a cosmopolitan distribution.

The Hirudinea in general were probably derived from an aquatic ancestor; and, in view of the fact that the great majority of species are still aquatic in habit, we must regard the terres- trial forms as being specially modified for a terrestrial existence, or as having specially adapted themselves to an environment quite different from that under which the majority of the forms have maintained their existence.

It might be merely suggested that the adaptation of some forms to a terrestrial existence might be due to the adaptation of an aquatic host by evolution to terrestrial conditions. This suggestion would receive some weight from the argument, which is well supported, that the Hirudinea represent an archaic group. At the same time it is to be borne in mind that several of the terrestrial Gnathobdellidce differ in only a small degree from certain allied aquatic forms of the same group.

In New Zealand, no land-leeches have yet been noted. Mr. Moore, of the United States National Museum, and Prof. Benham have shown definitely that the s^iecimens of Geobdella limbata ascribed to New Zealand are identical witli H. {Chthonob- della) limbata described by Grube from Sydney, and no doubt this represents the locality whence they were obtained. Further, land-leeches would certainly have been discovered long ago if they existed in the New Zealand bush. Two terrestrial genera have been noted in Australia, viz., Philoimon and Geobdella. Both these forms are very characteristic, and exhibit points of special interest. Philcemon fungens is the sole species known of

BY E. J. GODDARD. 73

that genus, and is to be found in Victoria and Tasmania, and in New Soutli Wales. Geobdella is represented by three species — G. aiisiraltensis, G. Whitmani, and G. tristriata — the former two being present in New South Wales and Queensland, and the latter in New Guinea. This latter distribution is of interest from a zoogeographical standpoint. The fact that they are so <;onfined in their distribution would seem to indicate with some certainty that the problem of migration of the species of these terrestrial forms is much more difficult than in the case of the aquatic forms, and that we may consider them, in their distri- Ijution, seriously in connection with zoogeographical schemes. Again, these forms are in all probability limited to the eastern side of the continent, the conditions of moisture, and the sub- tropical nature of a good part of this area being much more suitable for such forms of life. We may probably conclude from this that the genus Geobdella had a range extending from Austz'alia through at least part of the once existing Austro- Malayan Peninsula, and that in all possibility sufficient time has elapsed since the separation of this land-mass from Australia to allow of the evolution of the New Guinea species, G. tristriata, which is quite distinct from the Australian forms, and like them is terrestrial. Further, we are also to regard Philcemon as being characteristic of the southern half of the old Australasian conti- nent, including Tasmania, and Geobdella of the northern and more tropical half.

Perhaps I ma}' he excused, preliminarily, before entering on a discussion of the affinities of these two genera, if I attempt to review in consideration the distribution of these forms with a view to demonstrating their antiquity. If we assume that the occurrence of one and the same species of P/ii/«;»jo/i in Tasmania, Victoria, and New South Wales, is not due to the interference of mankind (and this assumption I strongly support later), then we must conclude that this genus once spread over the whole of these combined areas when a land-connection existed between Victoria and Tasmania, and further that inasmuch as only one species is known, the genus must be a distinctly archaic one. In support of this, we have the intere.sting fact that Geobdella,

74 AUSTRALIAN FIIRUDINEA, VI.,

which, as will be pointed out later, is very closely allied to> Phikemon and might very well, on many scores, be regarded as a subgenus, is confined to the northern half of New South Wales, Queensland and New Guinea. In considering, then, the distri- bution of these two genera, we are forced to conclude that both have been evolved from a common stock, and that Geobdella has adapted itself to tropical and subtropical conditions, and Philcenion to more temperate conditions.

I think that I may now reasonably suggest, if not conclude, that both forms are distinctly archaic. In concluding these remarks in their special reference to the question of distribution, it may be stated that one might reasonably have expected to meet with representative species of one of our Australian terres- trial genera in some of the Island groups to the east of Northern Australia which, many men of science, in consideration of the continental nature of the group, have suggested were connected as an extension in an easterly or south-easterly direction with the Austro-Malaysian Peninsula. When engaged in a collecting tour in Fiji some years ago, although I spent some months in active collecting in the thick bush of that region, I met with no member of the group, nor did I ever hear any^ reference made by natives, a vast number of whom rendered me every assistance possible iii my work, and most enthusiastically proferred any information they had. Further, I know of no records from the New Hebrides. This leads one, at the least, to suggest that neither of the Australian forms found its way beyond New Guinea, either in an easterly direction or in a westerly direction. I have mentioned these details witli a view to- suggesting that our two Australian genera have arisen from, a common Australian ancestor which was evidently not far removed from either of them in nature; and further, that this evolution has taken place since the splitting up and separa- tion of the outer portion of the supposed peninsular continental mass but prior to the separation of New Guinea from Australia. Again, if New Zealand were ever connected in a northerly or north-easterly direction with any of the continental masses above- mentioned, the absence of these forms in New Zealand is explained

BY E J. GODDARD. 75

either by the fact that they never did spread to any distance in an easterly direction, or that this hypothetical connection with New Zealand is of enormous antiquity.

In discussing the relationship of the two genera, Philcemon and 'Geohdella, it is interesting to see that they show marked affinities, which in themselves are unique characteristics of the two genera, viz., the presence of only two jaws, and the same position of the eyes. These affinities must be seriously considered as representing certain fundamental characters common to both, and probably to be found in an ancestor common to both, inasmuch as one of these points, viz., that of the jaws, is a most important factor to be considered in connection with classification. At the same time there are wide differences V)etween them which would seem to indicate that both forms have long been differentiated sufficiently for the generation of separate genera. I have pointed out, in connection with the subject of metamerism, in another chapter that in Geohdella the pentannulate somite has been derived from the uniannulate segment by the addition of fourannuli posterior to the primitive ring, whereas in Philcemon the sensory ring is denoted by the third annnlus of the tetrannulate somite, indicat- ing tiiat the order of origin of the annuli is quite different. Tlie question is now to be considered whether this tetrannulate condition has been arrived at by the absorption of the last annulus of tlie pentannulate somite, as seen in Geohdella (or the pent- annulate somite by the addition of another annulus to the tetrannulate somite of Philcemon); or whether these two forms were differentiated after the common ancestor had developed the biannulate somite. One finds that, in connection with somite-con- stitution, the chief change is that of extension, or in other words, the generation of the nmltiannulate condition. This we know definitely lias taken place extensively in all members of the Hirudinea to a greater or less extent, but, at the same time, there is no substantial scientific support behind the denial that retrogressive changes ever take place, that is, that an abbrevi- ation may take place secondarily. If one removes the last annulus of the pentannulate somite of Geohdella, it will be seen -that the sensory annulus would not occupy the same position as

76 AUSTRALIAN HIRUDINEA, VI.

that seen iu Phihemon, with its tetranuulate somite; or again, by adding another annulus to the somite of Philcemon the pent- annulate somite of Geobdella would be obtained; but the position of the sensory annulus would not correspond in both.

It must, of course, be borne in mind that although the number of annuli in the whole body is different in the two genera — 79 in Philcemon, 95 in Geohdella — and the peculiar positions of the genital apertures in Geobdella are of great importance, tiieir anatomy agrees very closely.

The total number of annuli in the body is dependent on the fact that one is pentannulate, and the other tetranuulate, and this may explain to some extent also the peculiar relative- positions of the genital apertures in Geobdella, which at first would seem to be of such great importance.

In view of what I have stated in connection with metamerism' and the importance of the order of origin of the annuli in discussing genetic relationships of leech-forms ; and taking into- consideration what I have stated as conclusions to be drawn from a study of the distribution of these two forms as a reflection of their ai'chaic nature; seeing that the order of origin of the annuli is so different in these two forms; I conclude that they have been derived from a common ancestor which agreed very closely with them in regard to the jaws, position of the eyes, and- general anatomy, l)ut which, at the time these two geuera were differentiated, had not developed a somite of more than two annuli.

In conclusion, I may state that the remarks which have been made in this paper in regard to the conclusions to be drawn from the distribution of our terrestrial Hirudinea in regard to zoogeographical schemes, are in keeping with those which the distribution of Monotremes, Marsupials, and Peripatus, etc., has long since justified. In this direction I have, then, merely added corroborative evidence from a study of the Hiriodinea themselves, and have hopes that I have conclusively pointed out that the terrestrial members in general of the Hirudinea serve- as good types to l>e considered in connection with a study in- zoogeography.

/ (

REVISION OF SYMFETES AND HEL^EUS: WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW SPECIES OF TENEBRI- ONIDjE [COLEOPTERA].

By H. J. Carter, B.A., F.E.S. Revision of the genus Sympeles (Pasc, Journ. of Ent. ii., p. 464).

History. — In 1866 Pascoe formed this genus for the recep- tion of S. Macleayi. It is distinguished from Helceus by the anterior angles of the thorax not meeting in front of the head^ and from Saragus by the niesosternum having no notch for the reception of the prosternal process. Pascoe does not appear to have examined the types of Hope and de Breme, or he would have included S. contractus, S. testxulineus, and aS'. Brcniei of the former; and S. gayates, S. orbicularis, S. rotundatus and S. sub- rugosus of the latter author. This is the more curious, since he refers to S.{Encar a) tricostellas White, as belonging to this genus, of which the type is in tlie British Museum. Moreover he described Saragus patelliformis (Ann. Mag.Nat.Hist.1870, p. 100), leaving it to Mr. Champion to point out that this species as well as S. Duboulaii Pasc, is a Sympetes (Trans. Ent. Soc. 1894, p. 384). From de Breme's figure there is little doubt that S. tonicarinatus Boisd., should also be included in this genus, though I do not know this species. In 1896, Lea described two species, S. acutifrons and <S'. itndulatus.

Thus Masters' Catalogue contains only two names under Sympetes, viz., S. Macleayi Pasc, and S. niagister Pasc, while Lea has added two under the genus. Of these four, two are, I consider, synonyms, while *S'. niagister Pasc, is certainly not a Sympetes at all.

Ten species have been removed from other genera into this group, and three new species are herein described, making a total

78 REVISION OF SYMPETKS AND HEL.EUS, ETC.,

of fourteen known species; all (except iS'. unicarinatus Boisd., from Kangaroo Island) being denizens of West Australia.

Synonymy.

(1) S. tricostellus Breme(?iec White) = 6'. contractiis Hope, =iS'. gagates Breme.

(2) S. Macleayi Pasc. = 6'. tricostellus White.

(3) S. Duhoulaii Paso. = 5". Bremei Hope.

(4) S. undulatjis Lea = »S'. testiulineus Hope.

(5) S. magisier Pasc. = Pterohekeus Icarus Carter, and is not a Sympetes (vide infra).

S. tricostellus Brerae(?iec AV"hite) = 6'. gagates Breme = i.S'. con- tractus Hope. — Through the courtesy of Mr. H. Giles, of the Zoological Gardens, Perth, I have obtained a long .series of Sympetes from that district. My own notes taken at the Hope Museum, and at the London Nat. Hist. Museum, with further

4

valuable help given most generously by Mr. C. J. Gahan, enable me to affirm the above synonymy with some certainty. At first I was inclined to separate my specimens into two species, dis- tinguished as follows, the larger A( 19-20 x 14-15 nun.) very nitid, with smaller punctures on the elytra : tlie smaller B(16-18 x 1 l•5- 12mm.) with larger elytral punctures. Extreme forms of these are in the Macleay Museum, Sydney, A, (from Rottnest Island) labelled .S'. tricostellus White; B, labelled ^S*. gagates Br. A. more- over, is more convex, with the lateral margins proportionately narrower, especially at apex. All the specimens of A are Q, while those of B are ^. A agrees very well with Breme's figure of aS'. tricostelhis, B with that of S. gagates. Mr. Gahan writes, " The specimen you take to be S. tricostellus{Bveme) agrees rather better than the smaller one with what we have as S. contractus Hope. I don't think your two specimens are really specifically distinct. Our set of specimens here are all more or less inter- mediate between the two, both as to size and punctuation of the elytra." The variations inform, especially sexual, are, therefore, probably responsible for this synonymy. S. contractus Hope, is .evidently, by figure and description, one of these. Indeed,

BY H. J. CARTER. 79

Hope's note " it may be considered at a future period as forming a subgenus " seems to show that h did not know the two species described by de Breme, notwithstanding his reference to de Breme's monograph, and the statement that " several of the species were described from my coll." since the figures given by Breme would show the .strong likeness. Moreover, there is an evident error in the dimensions given by Hope as " Long. lin. 9^, lat. lin. 3|," while the figure (Trans. Ent. Soc. 1848) shows an insect 9^ x 6 lines (by taking the length as the standard). The above specimens A and B are therefore 9 and ^ of the species which must be known as .S'. gagates Breme.

S. Macleayi Pasc. = .S'. tricostdlus White. — Mr, Gahan has had the Hope type sent from Oxford to compare with the Pascoe and White types in the British Museum. It is evident, both from Mr. Gahan's information and fromWhite's description (Grey's Travels, App. p. 464) that de Breme was mistaken in his identification of S. tricontelhis White. The first words of White's description are " Much larger than B. gihbosus, of a dirty brown, glossed, the wide margin of elytra flat." Here are three statements which apply to S. Macleayi Pasc, but not to S. tricostellus Breme. Mr. Gahan writes, " S. contractus Hope, is not the same as S. trico- stellus White. It is much smaller, darker or more strongly chitinised; diifers a good deal in shape of pronotum " (a rough sketch of each is sent). " The species figured by Breme as S. tricostellas White, looks very much more like S. contractus Hope, and Breme's (S*. rotundatus has, in the figure, a form very like that of S. tricostellus White, but is much smaller. *S'. Macleayi, Pasc, comes nearer to S. tricostellus White, than does S. con- tractus, but is somewhat more oblong and less rounded in form " [aS'. Macleayi Pasc, is often much rounded. H J.C.]. " I think it possible that S. rotundatus is only a small S. tricostellus. Our biggest S. tricostellus is 24 x 20 mm. I feel coafident, however, that .S'. contractus Hope, is distinct from S. tricostellus White, but it appears to be S. gagates Breme, and S. tricostellus Breme {nee White)." From this it is evident (1) That .S'. tricostellus White, was not correctly identified by de Breme. (2).b'. Macleayi

80 REVISION OF SYMPETES AND HELiEUS, ETC.,

Pasc. = iS'. tricostellus White. The variability, especially sexual, in the form of the latter would easily cover Mr. Galian's remarks on that point, while my measurements of specimens identified as S. Macleayi Pasc, are quite in accord with those of <S'. tricostellus White, in the British Museum. The remark as to aS'. rotundatus being possibly only a small .S. tricostellus is especially strong evidence, since I have had some difficulty in separating S. rotundatus from S. Macleayi except by size. *S'. tricostellus White, was described from King George's Sound, not from Swan River as de Breme states of his species. Macleay has pointed out Pascoe's omission of the carinated prothorax in his species. There is considerable variation also in form, size, and convexity. Six specimens under observation vary from 23 x lS-5 to 27 x 21 mm. As in the other species of this group of Sympetes (B of table, infra), the male is smaller than the female, with thediscal portion more convex, subapical margins narrower than on basal half. The apical spines on tibia) are shorter in the male. My speci- mens are from Albany and Kellerberrin.

*S'. Bremei Hope = -b'. Duboulaii Pasc. — This synonymy has already been suggested by Lea and Ijy mj'self. Mr. Gahan has corroborated this by a comparison of the types, and writes — " The type of the latter is a small black specimen, but shows no structural difference." My own specimens vary in colour from light brown to black, and this may be explained by immaturity. I am inclined to think that this species, like other sand-dwellers (e.g., Scymena variabilis Pasc.) may be of either colour when mature.

.S'. undulatus Lea = aS'. testudineus Hope. — Having seen the types of both at different times, T have only my memory to add to the evidence of their descriptions. Mr. Lea's note (These Proc. 1897, p. 586) as to the absence of the anterior tibial spur is scarcely sufficient to constitute a distinction. The geographical difference may be noted. S. undulatus is from Geraldton, S. testudineus is from Port Essington. Mr. Gahan writes — " aS'. undulatus Lea, is, Ithink, aS'. testudineus Hope, after comparing his description witli the type of the latter." My own measurements

BY H. J. CARTER. 81

of the Hope Museum specimen do not agree with those given by Hope. Mine give 20 X 15 mm., while Hope's description (incor- rectly quoted by Macleay as 8| x 7f lines) gives 8| x 6f lines.

«S'. magister Pasc. — PteroheUeus Icarus Carter = Saragus magister Pasc. — Suspecting this species to be out of place amongst Sympetes, and my evidence suggesting the above synonymy, I sent a specimen of my P. Icarus to Mr. Gahan, who writes — "aS'. magister Pasc, is, as you correctly surmise, a true Saragus, with mesosternum hollowed out for reception of the prosternum. The specimen you send appears to be the same species, allowing for a certain amount of variation. It is a little larger than either of Pascoe's two specimens, with the prothorax a little more expanded at the sides, and the margins more convex. Your specimen also shows some rows of very small punctures on the

front half of the disc of the elytra It is certainly

conspecific with one of our two specimens. The other (the actual type described) differs in having no punctures on the elytra, except the row at the junction of the explanate border." This must, I think, establish the above synonymy. Together with P. Darwini Lea, lately examined by me, through the courtesy of Mr. Lea, S. magister forms a valuable link in the chain connect- ing Pterohelceus with Saragus. The short metasternum in both, with the merely rudimentary wings, clearly separate them from PteroheUevs, while it is probable that a dissection of fresh speci- mens of many species of Saragus would show some approximation to these rudiu)entai-y wings. As it is inadvisable to create a new genus on so (to my mind) insufficient a character, both species must at present be referred to Saragus. I have not, however, been able to find these wings, so far, in S. Pascoei MacL, (tlie nearest in general facies to *S'. magister Pasc). The wings in aS'. magister extend about half-way from base to apex, and less than half-way from sides to suture, being attached near the shoulders. The species has a wide distribution over the inland parts of South Queensland and New South Wales. My specimens are fronv Forbes and Toowoomba, and all have the fine punctuation noticed by Mr. Gahan, but omitted from my description (possibly obscured

by grease at the time). 8

82 RKVISION OF SYMPETES AND MELIUS, ETC.,

Notes . — S. rotnndatus Brenie. This species is very close to S. Madeayi Pasc, ((S'. tricostellus White), but is separated by evident and apparently constant difierences of size. Specimens of both sexes from Perth measure 16-18 mm. long, while S. tricostellus White, varies from 23 to 27 mm. long, and is found near Albany. S. roiundaius is also more finely punctured, especially on the underside of the margins, which are, out of all proportion, very much more coarsely punctured in the larger species.

S. snhrugosus Breme. — Identified from Perth, wiiere it is apparently common, exactly corresponding-to figure and descrip- tion. This is possibly the insect referred to by Clmmpion(Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1894, p. 384) as differing h'o\n S. patelliformis Pasc, "in having the prothorax more densely punctured and with sharper anterior angles." If I have identified >S'. pateUiformis correctly, they are very different, the latter having a smoother surface, with the elytral costse subobsolete, while in S. suhrugosus they are quite evident.

S, unicarinatus Boisd., from Kangaroo Island. — I have seen the type in the Paris Museum, but have never seen any other specimen.

S. orbicularis Breme. — I have five specimens under observa- tion, which seem to belong to this species. Three are from Kellerberrin, W.A., taken b}' Mr. Duboulay, junr. ; the other two are labelled W.A., and are in the French Coll. of the Mel- bourne Museum. Here, as in the case of Pterohelceus Guerinii discussed by me (These Proceedings, 1909, p.l23), there is a curious discrepancy between the dimensions in the description and the dimensions of the plate given in de Breme's Monograph. In the description, the dimensions are given as long. 19, larg. 16 mm., whereas the plate, if standardised by the length, gives 19x14 mm.; there is the further mistake in the reference to the plates given in the description, tig. 3 being (as correctly stated on the plate) S. rotimdatus, fig. 4, S. orbicularis. Following the plate, fig. 4 as correct for the width, I have no hesitation in identifying *S'. orbicularis as the Kellerberrin insect. In only one specimen is the prolonged apex as distinct as in the plate.

liY H. J. CARTKli. 83

The following are descriptions of three new species, together with a table to assist identification : —

Sympetes bicolor, n.sp.

Widely ovate, shining, glabi'ous, discal portions of upper suiface and borders of foliate margins piceous-black or brown; foliate margins above and below creamy-yellow; abdomen, undei- side of disc, legs and antennse reddish.

Head : lal)ruiu narrowed in front and evident, e|iistoma trun- cate and a little raised, front with a triangular ridge in front of eyes, the apex between the eyes depressed, transverse suture separating front from epistoma well marked, the whole evidently but sparsely punctured; antenme not extending to base of pro- thorax, basal joints very slender and subcylindrical, apical four joints enlarged, 8-10 obconic, eleventh elongate-ovoid. Prothorax very transverse and flat (5 x 13 -5 mm.), the discal portion occupy- ing about one-third of the total width, greatest width at base, apex circularly emarginate, anterior angles strongly produced in front of the eyes, acutely dentate and pointing upwards, sides rapidly expanding in a wide curve, sinuate anteriorly, posterior angles very acute, slightly upturned and overlapi>ing elytra; extreme borders wide, convex, reflexed on upper and lower margins except near anterior angles, base and apex with narrow dark I'eflexed border, base trisinuate, foliate margins nearly flat and dotted with very shallow punctures; disc almost flat and rather uneven, with irregular depressions, central carina sub- obsolete but faintl}^ defined near base by a depression on eacli side, the whole finely punctulate. Scictellum semicircular and keeled. Elytra wider than prothorax at Ijase, wider than long (15 X 16-5 mm.); foliate margins nearly equally wide all round, widest at base where they are two-thirds of total width, slightly narrower at apex, humeral angles widely obtuse, sides slightly widening to about half-way, each elytron separately rounded at apex, borders concave, of same width as those of prothorax when viewed from the side and similarly reflexed above and below, foliate margins very thin and transparent, slightly undulate, with

84 REVISION OP SYMPETES AND HEL^US, ETC.,

humei'al callus prominent and a lens prominent convexity half way, closely dotted with shallow punctures : disc with suture strongly carinate throughout, and five fairly definite smooth costse on each elytron; of these the first is a short postscutellary costa parallel to the sides of the scutellum, the next three, parallel and equidistant, extend from the humeral region, obliquely approach the suture, becoming obsolete on apical declivity, the fifth subobsolete, half-way between the fourth and the outside of disc; junction of disc and margins marked by a line of large punctui'es in a depressed line, these most evident towards cipex, the extreme border of disc itself a little raised and crenulate; the intervals between costse faintly rugose, coarsely and irregularly punctured. Abdomen finely and closely, underside of foliate margins coarsely punctulate, tibiae armed at apex with two spines, one very long, under surface of legs rugose, tarsi and lower parts of tibiaj clothed with yellow hairs. Dimensions— 19 x 16 5 mm.

//«6. — Shark Bay, West Australia; sent by Mr. C. French.

I have two specimens, both, I think, ^, generously presented by Mr. French. While evidently very close to S. acutifrons Lea (from Geraldton), the dimensions, especially the proportion of length to width, diff'er sufficiently to make a clear distinction; moreover, in Lea's species the margins are testaceous, while in S. hicolor they are a distinct cream-yellow in both specimens; .S'. acutifrons Lea, is described as having elytral interstices "irregular, feebly raised," in S. hicolor the costal are evident. Type in author's coll.

I have since compared it with liea's type, and find it evidently distinct in (1) the much stronger contrast of colours in disc and margins; (2) the much wider form, especially of explanate margins; (3) wider head with more truncate epistoma.

Sympetes quadratus, n.sp.

Widely and squarely oval, dull brownish-black, tarsi and upper surface of antennae red.

Head wide, a little convex, with epistoma squarely truncjile and overlapping the labrum, front angles squarely rounded and a

BY H. J. CAKTER. 85

little reflexed. Eyes large, transverse, bordered in front by oblique moderately raised impression; front very minutely granu- lose; antennae as in S. Macleayi Pasc. Prothorax very transverse, depressed (6 x 16 mm.), deeply and squarely emarginate, anterior angles almost (in one case quite) enclosing the head, anterior angles sharply rectangular, with extreme apex showing a tendency to form a tooth. Sides widely rounded, strongly reflexed, widest at the acute posterior angles. Base strongly bisinuate. Border wide in front (where it is notched in the middle) and sides, narrow at base. Viewed from the side, the edge is convex and continuous with the under surface, and narrower than that of the elytra. Margins very wide and covered with minute granules. Disc much soioother, almost obsoletely carinate towards apex, but raised into a narrow hump towards base. Discal portion 6*5 mm. wide. Scutellum transversely elliptical at ba-se, appa- rently smooth. Elytra wider than long(14 x 17 mm.), squarely oval, greatest width behind the middle, a little narrower than prothorax at the shoulders, these widely obtuse; sides gradually expanding till near apical third, then rather abruptly I'ounded. Apex triangularly notched at suture. Margins not so wide as those of the pi'othorax, widest at shoulder (where they are slightly gibbous) and behind the middle, narrower at middle and apex through the bulging of the discal parts in these regions; finely and rather distantly granulose. Disc moderately convex through- out, rugosely punctulate, with three faintly indicated costse about equidistant from one another, moi*e or less parallel, becoming obsolete on apical declivity. Suture strongly carinate from base to the junction with margin, only slightly raised on apical margin. Frostermun minutely granulose, metasternum and abdomen finely rugosely punctured, the sculpture of abdomen appearing like a series of longitudinal scratches, reverse of margins coarsely punctate. The whole underside a dull black. Legs 6nely punctulate and with short scattered recumbent hairs of a reddish colour. Tibial spines shorter and thicker than in S. 3Iacleayi Pasc. DLaenslons — 19-22 mm. long, 17-19y mm. wide.

86 REVISION OF SYMPETES AND IIEL.EUS, ETC.,

Hah. — Shark Bay, West Australia.

Four specimens, all ^, sent by Mr. W. Duboulay, junr. It is easily distinguished from its congeners by its extraordinary width and square shape. In this respect it is the widest beetle known to me. More convex than S. Macleayi Pasc, but less so than S. gayates Breme. Type in author's coll.

SyMPETES EXCISIFRONS, n.sp.

Almost ci'-cular, convex, coal-black above, antennae and under- side opaque piceous-black, discal surface nitid, underside and legs sparsely clothed with short adpressed reddish hairs

Head: labrum not evident, epistonia widely truncate, its angles rounded in ^, obtuse in 5; behind this angle a distinct curved excision, sides then narrowing to the eyes (not rai.sad as in .S'. orbicularis iJreme, nor is frontal ridge so prominent), surface minutely but not closely granulose, eyes more widely separated' than in S. orbicularis, antennas stouter. Prothorax nearly four times as wide as long (length measured in the middle), widest at base, widely explanate, dis^c about as wide as the two margins combined, deeply arcuately emarginate in front, anterior angles very slightly rounded and obtuse (about 100°), extending almost to the excision in epistoma, sides circularly widening and forming a continuous curve with sides of elytra, border more strongly recurved than in S. orbicularis Br., posterior angles acute and overlapping elytra. Disc with central carina less evident than in aS'. orbicularis, surface apparently smooth and impunctate, foliaceous margins minutely granulose and nearly horizoital. Scutelluin transverse, triangular. Elytra Vvider than long, widest behind middle, less convex than S. orbicularis, more convex than S. quadratus, strongly carinated at the suture throughout, disc much more coarsely and deeply punctured, with interstices irregularly transversely rugose, and with two or three subobsolete cost?e on each elytron showing near base, the most evident of these, near the suture, continuous from base to apex; surface subglabrous, sparsely clad with minute black bristles; margins flat, wider than in S. orbicularis, wdth extreme border thicker

BV H. J. CARTER. 87

and more recurved, minutely granulose and separated from disc by a line of large lateral punctures. Underside a darker colour, but similar to .S'. orbicularis. Dimensions — (J, 15"5xl3-5; 2> 18x16 mm.

Hab. — Onslow, West Australia; sent by Mr. C. French, F.L.S.

Two specimens are under examination, one of either sex. This species is intermediate in form between S. orbicularis Breme, and *S'. quadratas. From the former it is differentiated, inter alia, by its widi^r and more circular shape, coarser sculpture of elyti'a, and its wider margins. These last are much narrower than in S. quadratiis, which moi'eover has sharply defined rectangular anterior angles to the prothorax, and is altogether a flatter and larger insect. The excised head, immediately behind the anterior angles of the epistoma, should serve to identify this species. It is so distinct in the female specimen that I thought it was an accidental breakage, until the male showed a similar but smaller excision. The elytral sculpture of the three species is thus to be differentiated: —

S. excisifrons — punctures regular, clearly separated, round and deep; intervals coarse, shining, irregularly rugose.

^\ orbicidaris Breme — punctures irregular, large and small, but on the whole smaller, closer and less deep than in S. excisi- frons; intervals showing no definite ridges on central portion and only slightly at sides.

S. quadralus— densely packed with small round punctures, the

intervals more finely but more distinctly rugose than in S,

excisifrons.

Table of Sympetes.

A. Explanate margins of elytra oblique, not hovizontal, surface strongly

chitinised. S. gagates Bveme^tricostellus Bxemeinec White) =contractics Hope.

B. Explanate margins flat and horizontal, surface less chitinised. a. Explanate margins of elytra together as wide as disc at base.

b. Anteiior angles of prothorax acutely produced.

c. Form very wide (margins of elytra 3'5mm.) hicolor, n..sp.

cc. Form narrower(margins of elytra 2 ram.) acutijrons Lea.

hh. Anterior angles not acute.

88 REVISION OP SYMPETES AND HELiEUS, ETC.,

d. Size large / tricostelhis 'White.

\ Madeayi Pasc.

dd. Size smaller, punctures much finer rotundatus Breme.

aa. Explanate margins of elytra together not as wide as disc at base.

e. Elytra about as wide as long orbicularis Breme,

ee. Elytra much wider than long.

/. Anterior angles of prothorax obtuse excisifrons, n.sp.

jf. Anterior angles subdentate and rectangular.

quadratus, n.sp.

C Explanate margins of elytra undulating \ testudiiieios Hope.

1 undulatus Lea. D. Explanate margins of elytra narrow, size small.

a. Elytral suture carinate.

h. Prothorax carinate , unicarinatus Boisd.

bb. Prothorax not carinate.

c. Anterior angles acute and salient subriigosus Breme.

cc. Anterior angles not acute and salient patelliformlsFeLSc.

aa. Elytral suture not carinate j Bremei Hope.

{ Duboidaii Pasc.

H E L iE u s Latreille.

This genus has been discussed by de Breme in 1842, and again by Macleay in 1887. The Rev. T. Blackburn, in 1899, added .several new species and gave an excellent table for identifying the larger species (Trans, Roy. Soc. South Aust. 1899, p. 37). The acquisition of new material, and a study of this group enable me to add a few notes, and tables which may help students to identify the known species with greater facility. Reasons have already been given why little regard should be paid to the varied overlapping of the anterior prothoracic processes (These Proceed- ings, 1909, p. 124). Nor is colour a i-eliable test of difference of species, since immaturity is often the cause of such difference.

The groups fall naturally into five sections.

Section i. — Those liaving elj^tra smooth or only granulate. Section ii. — Those having elytra pilose or tufted. Section iii. — Those having elytra bicostate (or with the suture, tvbcostate).

Section iv. — Those having elytra 4- or more costate. Section V. — Tho.se having elytra tuberculate.

BY H. J. CARTER. 89

Section i. lias already been discussed by Blackburn, and his suggestion that the study of the external margin of the prothorax and elytra would give valuable results is fully endorsed by the present writer. I regret the want of opportunity of examining his types closely, as it is doubtful if he has always allowed enough for the natural variations of tlie variable species of this genus. Thus H. aridus Blackb., seems to me to be the same, or at most but a variety of H. princeps Macl.(Hope'?). The distinc- tion drawn by the author of the first, lies in the absence of the carina on the prothorax of H. aridus, which is present in //. princeps. In the Macleay Museum are two specimens labelled II. princeps Hope, by Macleay. In one of these this carina is distinct, in the other specimen it is almost obsolete. They are from the same district, and are evidently conspecific. There is a large collection of duplicates from the interior of South Aus- tralia, which show the same variation. This fact throws some doubt as to the value of H. aridus Blackb., as a distinct species, and can, I consider, only be admitted as a variety of the species passing for H. 2^rinceps Hope. Another character — that by which II. lubricus Blackb., is distinguished from the two preced- ing in the table — is " sutural carina of elytra (viewed from the side) being parallel with the edge of the lateral margin and straight in the middle (about half) part of its length." This character, depending only on the convexity of the disc, might be and is often only a sexual difference, and without several examples should not be used to differentiate species.

H. subseriatus Blackb., and //. elongatus Blackb. — The author distinguishes between these by the elytral punctures of the former being extremely fine, and of the latter very distinct. I have had several s[)ecimens identified readily as II. subseriatus from Nungarra, W.A. (sent by Mr. Giles), and one specimen which I identify as 11. elongatus from Kalgourlie. These species, though closely allied, are, I consider, quite distinct.

H. Brownii Kirby. — This species was omitted by Mr. Black- burn from his table. There is a specimen in the Macleay INl useum whicli is, I believe, correctly identified. The lateral

90 REVISION OF SYMPETES AND HEL^U8, ETC.,

edge of prothorax is concave, as wide as that of the elytra and faintly rugulose. The elytra have rows of small, distant pustules. There is an evident subsutural costa near scutellum, the others obsolete. The basal tooth on prothorax is sharp, erect, and sub- conical, while the carina in front is subobsolete. Dimensions, 20x 11 mm.

Section ii. — Elytra pilose or tvfted.

There are five species so far described, on which I append short notes.

H. perforatus Latr., is the original type of the genus. I have taken specimens at Perth, and have examined the type in the Paris Museum. It is well known in all collections by its four rows of long black hairs.

H. Kirhyi Breme. — I have a specimen from N. W. Australia, easily to be distinguished from H. perforatus by the following- characters — Form more regularly elongate-oval (less enlarged posteriorly), margins narrower and more horizontal, tufts of hair shorter, more sparse and red; prosternal keel more elevated and nitid, especially between the coxse.

//. Spencei Breme, possibly a variety of the former, has its elytra much wider than the thorax.

//. Spinoloi Hope, differs from all others of the genus in that the anterior processes of prothorax do not meet in front. Macleay therefore placed it in the incisus-gvowT^ of Saragus. Having seen the t^'pe in the Oxford Museum, I have no doubt as to its being a true Helieus, and am inclined to consider it as an aberrant form of H. perforatus. I have never seen any other specimens.

H. fulvo-hirlus Lea, is much smaller than the preceding. Lea gives 20 X 14 mm. as the dimensions, but a specimen in the Macleay Museuu), presented by Mr. Lea, measures 19x12 mm. The prosternum is rounded, not carlnate, the elytra finely punctured.

Section iii. — Elytra bicostate.

Synonym y. — II. falcatus Pasc., = Zr. Perronii Boisd.C?) As in most cases, Boisduval's species are impossible to identify by

BY H. J. CARTE[<. 91

description, the one useful fact therein being its locality, Kangaroo Island. De Breme redescribed it, giving a figure, as from Swan River. lb seemed improbable to me that this distribution, and, therefore, identification was correct. I was unable to find Bois- duval's tj^pe in the Paris or Brussels Museums, but Mr. Gahan has kindly sent me a specimen labelled H. Perronii Boisd,, from the British Museum for examination, with the locality-label of Kangaroo Island(A. H. Davis). This specimen is identical with specimens in the Macleay Museum, and Mr. Lea's collection, as H.falcatus Pasc, and corresponds exactly with Pascoe's descrip- tion. It is probable that Pascoe relied on de Breme's monograph, already shown to be fallible in the case of Sympetes tricosielhis White. Until Boisduval's type is shown to be identical with de Breme's, it is preferable to assume that the two insects described from Kangaroo Island are the same. It is thus pos- sible that one of the new species described below may be the insect figured and described by de Breme as II. Perronii Boisd.

a. consularis Pasc. — I have two specimens, exactly correspond- ing to the author's description, from Kellerberrin, W.A., taken by Mr. Duboulay, junr., and one from Norseman, W.A., which difiers only in the prothoracic processes not meeting. I consider this last only a variety. In these Proceedings, 1889, p. 1269, Mr. Blackburn has some doubt as to the distinction between this species and II. moniliferus. Macleay also notes that it was unknown to him. Tiie follov/ing comparison of prominent characters will therefore be useful : —

H. constdaris Pasc. //. moniliferus Pasc.

Form obovate, widest at Form ovate, widening behind

shoulders. shoulders.

Elytral costse not parallel or Costse much closer, parallel

approximate. for greater distance.

Pronotal carina reaching Pronotal carina not reaching

base. base.

Prosternal keel not raised at Prosternal keel shai-p, even,

apex, smooth behind and produced behind, rounded between coxae.

92 REVISION OF SYMPETES AND IlEL^US, ETC.,

I have examined many s[)ecimens of //. moniliferus in the Macleay Museum, which are cotypes of those sent to Pascoe by Mr. Masters from South Australia. I have received specimens from Mr. Goudie from Sea Lake, N. W. Victoria.

H. ellipticus Lea, is easily diflferentiated from the former two, by its elongate-ovate form, the sides being parallel behind tlie shoulders. The prosternal keel is strongly raised throughout, is notched, bifid, and wedge-shaped at apex, and strongly produced behind coxje; the elytral costse are crenated only on the outside (on both sides in the former two species), and there is a raised border round the eyes with a sulcus intervening between it and the eyes. Mr. Lea has kindly lent me his type for examination. My specimens are from Condon and Mt. Margaret, "VV.A.

H. castor Pasc. — This species, and its ally H. Georgei Cart., aie much flatter than the rest, with the prosternal keel obsolete. The under side of the prothoracic flange of H. castor is thickly pitted with large punctures.

H. squamosus Pasc. — Specimens compared with cotypes in the Macleay Museum have the front angles rounded and overlapping, with the ii\jtia\ costse terminated on the apical declivity. The four apical joints of antennse are distinctly broader than the rest. My specimens are from Cunuamulla, Q.; Milduia, Vic; and Tarcoola, S.A.

H. Derbyensis Macl., compared with what, I presume, is the type, though unmarked as such in the Macleay Museum. The front angles are acute and scarcely overlapping, the pronotal carina smaller and more uniformly elevated. The last three joints of antennse are not broader than the rest, while the elytral costee are continued almost to the apex. The suture is slightly carinate at apex, though Macleay says it is not. My specimens are from Condon, N.W. Australia, taken by Mr. Giles.

In both the last two species the prosternum is nearly flat.

H. Mastersi Pasc. — There is a specimen labelled Salt R.(W. A.) in the Macleay Museum which, Mr. Masters assures me, is a coty|)e of the specimen sent to Pascoe. If this be so, Pascoe's description is in error in stating that it is "furnished above with

BY H. J. CARTER. 93

short erect black l)ristles " (Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. Ser.4, Vol. v., p. 99). This specimen, which is exactly similar to one sent by- Mr. Duboulay, junr., to me from West Australia (unlabelled), is furnished above with distinct red bristles, but otherwise corres- ponds to the description. I am unwilling to doubt the evidence of so accurate an entomologist as the veteran Curator, and have written to the British Museum for information on this point. In reply, Mr. Gahan writes, " //. Mastersi Pasc, has distinct bristles of a rather darkish or rusty reddish colour, not black."

H. sparsus Gavt., [infra) is particularly interesting as forming a link connecting Sections ii. and iii., having the long tufts of hair as in Section ii., with the bicostate elytra of Section iii. There are two specimens in the Melbourne Museum, identified by myself.

Section iii. Elytra bicostate (siiture sometimes costaie).

A. Size large, 20-24 mm. long, elytral costse not (in general) parallel

(subparallel in H. moniliferus) .

B. Form widely ovate, margins wide.

C. Elytra widest at base consularisVn.s,G.

CC. Elytra widest at, or behind, middle.

D. Colom- brilliant nitid-black, prosternum not carinate.

spinifer, n.sp.

DD. Colour subnitid-brown, prosternal carina sharp.

monili/erus Pasc. BB. Form elongate, elytral margins narrower.

C. Elytra glabrous.

D. Elytral costse extending nearly to apex of disc, prosternal

carina bifid at apex ellipticus Lea.

DD. Elytral costte terminating on apical declivity, prosternal

carina subobsolete anteriorly approximate, n.sp,

CC. Elytra sparsely pilose, hairs long comatus, n.sp.

CCC. Elytra squamose.

D. Anterior prothoracic processes rounded at apex, elytral

costfe terminated on apical declivity sqiiamosus Pasc.

DD. Anterior processes acute at apex, elytral costse con- tinued almost to apex Derbyensis MacL

AA, Size medium, 15-18 mm. long. Elytral - costte parallel or nearly so. B. Form widely ovate.

94 RKVISION OF SYMPETES AND HKL^EUS, ETC.,

C. Prothoi'acic carina forming a double, or triple, curve (seen sideways). D. Form rather flat.

E, Margins horizontal, equally wide all round castor I'asc.

EE. Margins slightly concave and undulate, costae more

approximate Oeor(/ei, n . sp.

DD. More convex, explanate margins of elytra narrowing to apex. E. Anterior prothoracic processes blunt. F. Upper surface strongly bristled.

G. Bristles red , Master&i Pasc.

GG. Bristles black.

H. Pronotum nearly smooth Gihm, n.sp.

H H . Pronotum pustulate occidentali^t, n. sp.

EE. Anterior prothoracic processes acute (falcate) f PerroJiu Boisd,

[falcatiis Pasc. BB. Form less widely ovate.

C. Prothoracic carina forming a single curve (seen sideways).

D. Surface not bristled 7'Vffosipennis, n.sp.

DD. Surface densely bristled opacicollis, n.sp.

BBB. Form elongate-ovate, c. Elytral costte entire.

d. Surface nearly smooth Machayi Breme.

dd. Surface with tufts of long hair sparsus, n.sp.

oc. Elytral costse broken into nodules posteriorly Frenchi, n.sp.

AAA. Size small, 8-11 mm. long. b. Elytral cost;e parallel.

c. Anterior prothoracic processes overlapping. graimlaUis Lea.

cc. Anterior prothoracic processes not meeting Haagi Dohrn.

bh. Elytral costae not parallel ZTo^ei Breme.

Section iv., at present contains only one species, herein described as H. crenatipennis milii.

Section iv. Elytra quadricostate.

crenatipennis, n.sp.

Section v. — Elytra tuherculate.

Consists of four described species, but they are perhaps the most difficult of all to identify or classify with any real defiuite- ness. Taking tliem in order of priority of description, they are H. ovatus Guerin, //. taberculatus Breme, //. echinatus Hope, and

BY H. .T. CARTER. 95

//. horridus Blackb. So far as I am aware, this group is confined to New South Wales and Victoria, but enjoys a wide range over this area. I have examined a very large number of specimens, and liave twenty-two specimens befoi'e me now. It may be doubted whether the four are not merely geographical varieties of the same species; but for the present I will note my own observations on the differences noted in the types inspected, and in the specimens observed.

//. ovatus Guer., is the largest of the four, and the only one having distinct costse, two on each elytron, the first a short scutellary costa, the second more or less parallel to tliis, both being uninterrupted or non-nodulose, at least, on basal part of disc. The outside edge of elytra (seen sideways) is very thin and laminate, but a little recurved; while the extreme edge of the prothorax is wide, convex, and so much recurved as to be nearly horizontal. My note on inspecting the specimen in the Hoi)e Museum is, that it is only a variety of H. echinatus Hope. My largest specimen, from Cowra, N.S.W., measures 17x12 mm.; other specimens from Mulwala and other parts of New South Wales are normal in size.

H. tuherculatus Breme. — I do not think I have seen the type oi this, but, from de Breme's figure, it appears to be the form commonly found throughout the whole of New South Wales. I have specimens from Mudgee, Muswellbrook, Camden, Gunta- wang, Baan Baa, etc., varying in length from 10^ mm. to 14 mm. They can be distinguished from the other three species by Mr. Blacb burn's test as to the comparison of the extreme margins of the prothorax and elytra. Alone of the group, this species (if I am correct in ray identification) has the extreme edges of the elytra, seen sideways, more or less concave or flat, and similar to, though sometimes slightly narrower than, those of the pro- thorax, which are narrower and much less upturned than in H. ovatus Guer. The tubercles are also smaller than on the other species, and, in general, round.

//. echinatus Hope. — The type or cotype of this is probably the specimen referred to by Sir W. Macleay (These Proceedings,

96 REVISION OF SYMPETES AND HELjEUS, ETC.,

Ser.2, Vol.ii., p.649) and which I have closely examined in the Macleay Museum, It is labelled H. echinatus Macleay, N.S.W. I have specimens exactly like it from Mount Macedon and other parts of Victoria. The edges of the elytra are thin, as in H. ovatus Guer., those of the prothorax wide and upturned. The tubercles of the elytra are larger than in H. tuberculattcs Breme, the short scutellary costa is nodulose or broken, and the large seriate punctures are more evident than in the other species. The form is in general narrower than in H. tuherculatus. The 'figure given by Hope is of little use for distinguishing the main points of difference between this and the other species.

H. horridus Blackb., is not aptly named, since horridus suggests spines, while the description evidently refers to "tubercles" only, on the elytra. These tubercles are larger than in any of the preceding. I have three specimens, taken by myself near Mt. Kosciusko, which correspond to Mr. Blackburn's description. The author only states of the locality that " the South Australian Museum possesses a single specimen, probably taken in South Australia." The extreme edges of the prothorax and elytra are as in H. ovatus Guer., and H. echinatus Hope.

Section v. Elytra tuherculate.

A. Edge of elytra (seen sideways) concave or flat hiberculafus Breme.

A A. Edge of elytra (seen sideways) laminate.

B. Elytra costate ovatus Guer,

BB. Elytra not costate (in general).

C. Elytral tubercles small \&r.(?) echinatus Hope.

CC. Elytral tubercles large ya,v.(l) horridus Blackb.

HELiEUs Perronii Boisd. N. falcatus Pasc.

Widely oval, convex, pitchy black, prothorax opaque, elj^tra rather nitid, antennae and tarsi piceous, the former reddish at apex, underside black, slightly nitid.

Head : labrum emarginate, epistoma nearly flat, truncate in front, angles widely obtuse, epicranium not much depressed, eyes approximate, surface minutely shagreened, antennse much shorter

KY n. J. CARTER. 97

than prothorax, third joint as long as fourth and fifth combined, 8-10 oval and flattened, eleventh obovoid and longer than tenth. Prothorax (5x9 mm.) widest at base, length measured to apex of anterior process, sides narrowing in a curve from base to apex, a little sinuate anteriorly, posterior angles acute, slightly produced and deflected at the tips, anterior processes narrowing to a point, gradually rising above the plane of prothorax and exactly meet- ing vertically above the middle of the head (not produced in front of head) with their edges vertical at their junction [this character is not constant, and subject to variation], each process separately rounded or falcate, and recurved at the apex; foliate margins wide, concave, separation from disc marked by sulcate depression in front only, extreme border thick and reflexed from above (seen sideways, thin and continuous with under surface). Disc convex and carinate, the line of carina, seen sideways, form- ing a triple curve, or trisinuate line, the posterior equiangular triangular tooth much the most prominent part, with posterior edge oblique and continuous to base; surface of disc and margins closely pustulose, base closely fitting elytra and crenulate. Scutellum transversely semielliptic, finely punctured and non- carinate. Elytra as wide as long(10'5 mm.), oval, widest behind middle, slightly narrower than prothorax at base, apex a little produced, shoulders obtuse-angulate, the angle emphasised by strongly raised border ending abruptly at middle of basal side,^ vertical near shoulder but gradually becoming explanate at apex; foliate margins of same width as those of prothorax at base, gradually narrowed and obsolete at apex, slightly gibbous at base, convex behind, exti'eme border reflexed and much thinner than that of prothorax (seen sideways it is much thicker than it and convex, the lower edge carinate and below the plane of undersurface); disc tricostate, the suture and two subparallel costse strongly raised; of these the suture less raised, continuous from base to apex, the other two little divergent at base, very slightly convergent and abruptly terminated on apical declivity, crenulate on both sides; surface lineate-punctate, the part between costse containing two rows of large punctures at intervals of 9

98 RKVISION OF SYMPKTKS AND IlKL^US, ETC ,

about the diameter of one of them (besides the large punctures on the sides of the costse), between costee and margins the punc- tures much smaller, but still liaeately arraiij,'ed, disc and margins clad with very short reddish hairs, on each side a line of spini- form pustules situated considerably above the junction with margins; prosternum convex, cylindrical between coxae; abdomen .smooth, minutely punctured ; tibite hairy, apical spines small. Dimeiisions — 13-15 x 9-10'5 mm.

Hah. — -South Australia and Kangaroo Island.

HEL.EUS SPINIFER, n.sp.

Widely elliptic-ovate, glabrous, moderately convex, entirely black; the whole, except head and margins of prothorax, bril- liantly nitid, antennae piceous, tarsi clothed witli red tomentum.

Head: labrnm emarginate, fringed with red hair; epistoma truncate, angles rounded, with strongly raised ridge separating epicraniiim from forehead continuous with frontal ridge (between the eyes); epicraniam depressed and sparsely punctured; eyes large, transverse, separated by space less than 1 mm.; antennae extending to the base of prothorax, third joint cylindrical, as long as fourth and fifth combined, succeeding joints successively wider to apex. Prothorax{S x 14 mm.), length measured to apex of anterior process, width at base, sides moderately rounded, faintly sinuate in front, incurved and produced posteriorly into a distinct tooth, anterior processes just meeting, regularly narrow- ing, on both edges, at the apex into a U-shaped termination, enclosing head in an oval of 3 mm. diameter; foliate margins wide (margins : disc as 3 : 7), raised near