306 



COLLEGE ZOOLOGY 



place to place by means of its legs, the two extremely sensitive 

 antennae test the ground over which it is to travel, while the eyes, 

 one at the base of each antenna, enable it to avoid the light. 



FIG. 228. Peripatus capciisis, drawn from life. (From Sedgwick.) 



When irritated, Peripatus often ejects slime, sometimes to the 

 distance of almost a foot, from a pair of glands which open on the 

 oral papillae. This slime sticks to everything but the body of the 



animal itself; it is used principally 

 to capture flies, wood-lice, termites, 

 and other small animals, and in 

 addition is probably a weapon of 

 defense. A pair of modified ap- 

 pendages serve as jaws and tear the 

 food to pieces. 



Most species of Peripatus are 

 viviparous, and a single large female 

 may produce thirty or forty young 

 in a year. These young resemble 

 the adults when born, differing 

 chiefly in size and color. 



The external appearance of Peri- 

 patus capensis is shown in Figures 

 228 and 229. Figure 230 shows the principal internal organs 

 of a male specimen. The head bears three pairs of append- 

 ages: (i) the antenna (Fig. 229, ant.), (2) the oral papilla (or.p}, 

 and (3) the jaws, a pair of simple eyes, and a ventrally placed 



FIG. 229. Peripatus ca- 

 pensis, ventral view of head. 

 ant, antenna; F.I, first leg; 

 or.p, oral papillae; T, tongue. 

 (From Sedgwick.) 



