576 CLASS II. ONYCHOPHORA. 



and the genital opening. The group is interesting for presenting a greater 

 variation in structure than any other group. This variation reaches its 

 maximum in cinctipes but is not sufficient in our opinion to justify the 

 separation of this form from the rest. The following species may be men- 

 tioned : P. capensis Grube. with 17 (rarely 18) pairs of legs ; P. Balfouri 

 Sedgwick, with 18 (rarely) 19 pairs ; P. Moseleyi Wood-Mason, with 20-24 

 pairs : and P. (Opisthopatus Purcell) cinctipes Purcell with 16 pairs. 



Austro-Peripatus. Australia (W. and E.), Tasmania, New Zealand. 

 Eight species are known. The characters are : (1)* The number of legs 

 (14 to 16 pairs) is constant in the same species. (2) Outer jaw without 

 minor tooth or with one or more minor teeth ; the inner jaw is without a 

 diastema or saw of denticles. (3) The' legs have 3 spinous pads. (4) 

 Nephridial openings of legs 4 and 5 on the proximal pads. (5) Feet with 

 3 distal papillae (one anterior, one dorsal, and one posterior), except in 

 P. Suteri in which there may be 3 or 4. (6) The genital opening is 

 between the legs of the last pair which are normally developed. (7) The 

 oviduct has a receptaculum seminis with 2 ducts, but has no receptacula 

 ovorum. (8) Ovary is exogeneous. (9) Ova very large (1-5 to 2 mm. in 

 longest diameter) and heavily yolked. (10) Uterine embryos of very 

 different ages or about the same age. (11) Unpaired part of vas deferens 

 long. (12) Spermatophore elongated, with a thick case. (13) Skin 

 pigment mainly black, blue, green, or brown, unaffected or but slightly 

 affected by spirit. (14) Legs without well developed coxal organs. 

 (15) Crural glands present in some species, absent in others ; when present, 

 in the males only. (16) Accessory glands of the male opening separately 

 between the anus and genital opening. On the whole this group of species, 

 which has a considerable range, presents but little variation. There is 

 a little variation in the outer blade of the jaw, in the pedal papillae, in the 

 relative ages of the embryos in the same uterus, and in the crural glands. 

 Also in 3 species the oviduct opens at the end of a papilla the ovipositor. 

 This character is associated in two of the three species (and possibly in 

 the third) with an oviparous habit and a sculptured egg-shell. The only 

 peculiar character is No. 1. The other characters are distributed fairly 

 impartially among most of the other groups. If we are inclined to asso- 

 ciate Austro-Peripatus with Melano- and Capo -Per ipatus we must not 

 overlook the important characters Nos. 1 , 9 and 1 1 by which it differs 

 from them. 



Chilio-Peripatus. Chili. 1 species, P. Blainvillei. Though this species 

 is South American it occurs far to the south of any Neo-Peripatus and is 

 entirely distinct from that group. Its characters are : (1) Number of 

 legs (19-21 pairs) variable in the species. (2) Outer jaw with 2 minor 

 teeth, inner jaw without a diastema and saw. (3) Legs with 3 spinous 

 pads. (4) Nephridial openings of legs 4 and 5 on the proximal pad. 



(5) Feet with 3 distal papillae (one anterior, one posterior, and one dorsal). 



(6) Genital opening between the legs of the last pair which are reduced in 

 size. (7) Receptaculum seminis, if present, very much reduced, without 

 double duct ; no receptacula ovorum. (8) The ovary is endogenous. 

 (9) Ova small ('07 mm.), but not so small as in Neo-Peripatus. (10)* 

 Uterine embryos of markedly different ages, but arranged in groups of 

 three, the embryos of each group being of the same age. (11) Unpaired 

 part of vas deferens short as in Capo-Peripatus. (lla)* A part of the 

 vas deferens on each side is coiled into a close spiral. (12; Sperma- 

 tophores are small and cylindrical, without a specially thick case. 



