BY J. J. FLETCHER. 1 75 



abstract. Forthwith naturalists took Sanger's name, unwittingly 

 but unwarrantably^ fitted it out with new characters, and all the 

 time thought they were strictly following the leader, or only legiti- 

 mately supplementing his work. Fortunately nothing very much 

 worse has resulted than some considerable confusion of nomen- 

 clature, which has not however passed beyond the bounds of 

 rectification, 



Sanger's paper has seemed in danger of permanent consignment 

 to oblivion; all the more so, perhaps, under the delusion that of 

 late years observers had supplemented what little was known of 

 it with all that was necessary for the exact identification of the 

 species. It happily occurred to Prof. Spencer when on a visit to 

 England recently, that the satisfaction of knowing exactly what 

 Sanger had said on the subject might possibly prove to be 

 sufiicient compensation for the expenditure of the trouble necessary 

 to get at it. He therefore took the matter earnestly in hand, and 

 with the co-operation of Prof. Howes, Mr. H. M. Bernard, and a 

 friend of the latter's, he at length became possessed of a trans- 

 lation of that part of Sanger's paper descriptive of the Australian 

 Peripatus. I have to thank Prof. Spencer not only for a copy of 

 the translation, but also for his permission to make use of it. 

 Before considering the translation, one or two other matters may 

 be noticed. 



Some years before the re-discovery of Peripatus in Australia, 

 the New Zealand species came to light. During the stay of 

 H.M.S. ''Challenger" at Wellington in July, 1874, Mr. Travers 

 brought specimens to Mr. Moseley, who says that he was unable to 

 refer to special publications at the time, and he thought that it 

 was- " already certainly named;" afterwards on his return to 

 England press of work prevented his giving further attention to 

 the matter. Very shortly after it came under Grube's notice, 

 who refers to it in a paper read in 1875. I am unable to consult 

 this paper * which is thus noticed by Leuckart : " Grube 



* Ber. der schles, Gesellsch. f. Cultur u.s.w. aus dem Jahre 1875. 

 Naturwiss. Ber. S. 52. 



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