Dendy. — On Geonemertes novaj-zealandite. 215 



corded from these islands. Two specimens were described, 

 both of which were found amongst spirit-preserved collections 

 of land planarians, for which they had evidently been mistaken. 

 No record has hitherto been made of the appearance of the 

 living animal — indeed, it had never been recognised in the 

 living state until I had the good fortune, in November last, to 

 meet with two specimens m their native haunts. The animal 

 was found under fallen and decaying timber, near the edge of 

 the Alford Foxiest, at the foot of Mount Somers, and near the 

 Township of Springburn (South Island), associated with land 

 planarians and other cryptozoic animals. It is a curious fact 

 that, even after minutely examining and describing the spirit 

 specimens, I at first mistook the living animal for a planarian. 

 So close is the general resemblance in habits, shape, and 

 markings that I did not discover its true nature until I came 

 to examine it more carefully at home. The following descrip- 

 tion of the living worm will perhaps help to prevent such 

 mistakes in the future: — 



The body, both when at rest and when crawling, is long 

 and slender. The larger of the two specimens when at rest 

 measured about 37mm. in length and 3mm. in breadth, and 

 when crawHng 53mm. ii; length and 2mm. in breadth. The 

 head is rounded, not constricted off from the body, but dis- 

 tinguished by its colour. It bears a nai-row vertical slit in 

 front, which is the common opening of the mouth and 

 proboscis-sheath. It also bears four eyes, which are easily 

 recognisable in the living animal, and of which the two upper 

 and inner are smaller and less distinct than the two lower and 

 outer. 



The ground-colour of the dorsal surface is pale-yellow, with 

 four longitudinal stripes of dark purplish-brow^^.' The dark 

 stripes of the mner pair are broad, and separated from one 

 another by a narrow median band of yellow ; those of the 

 outer pair are very narrow, and separated from the inner each 

 by a very narrow yellow line. The narrow dark stripes lie 

 very near the margins of the dorsal surface. The stripes all 

 cease abruptly a short way behind the eyes, and the head is 

 pale brownish-yellow, quite a distinct tint from the dorsal 

 ground-colour. The ventral surface of the body is nearly 

 white. 



The animal crawls very slowly, and leaves behind it a 

 slimy track. As it progresses the head is moved from side to 

 side. 



