BY THOS. STEEL. 95 



females and 189 males; that is 67 per cent, of the former and 33 

 per cent, of the latter. Besides these a large number of young, 

 ranging from newly born upwards, were noticed. 



The summer of 1895-6 having been preceded by a prolonged 

 spell of very dry weather, the organisms mentioned were found 

 to be very scarce. Where in the previous summer I found hun- 

 dreds of land Planarians, only scattered individuals of the more 

 hardy and common species were to be met with, and it was only 

 by diligent searching over a somewhat wide area that I was able 

 to secure a very moderate number of Peripati. Particular spots 

 which I specially remembei'ed as being where I met with plenty 

 of specimens in 1894-5, in 1895-6 I found to be quite deserted or 

 only very sparingly populated by Peripatus, while the other usual 

 forms of life — with the exception of ants and termites, which 

 seem to flourish under any conditions— were equally scarce in 

 proportion. This collection, though a good deal smaller, contained 

 much the same relative proportions of males and females, and a 

 similar range of colour variation, as that made in 1894-5. 



When collecting in 1894-5, whenever I saw young Peripati 

 under logs I made it a rule to replace them in the position in 

 which I had found them; and as I noted numbers of these logs I 

 was able to examine them again in 1895-6. In many cases where I 

 had left large numbers of young of various ages I found on my 

 second visit not a trace of any, and in others only a few. 



My friend, Mr. C. Frost, F.L.S., informs me that in Victoria, 

 where the summer of 1895-6 was similar to that experienced in 

 New South Wales, he found the land Planarians exceedingly 

 scarce, and in some cases altogether absent, in districts such as 

 Fern Tree Gully, which are known to be usually prolific in these 

 forms of life. 



Such dry conditions, and the attendant "bush fires," must 

 cause an enormous mortality amongst these lowly creatures, and 

 it is greatly to be desired that as much information about them 

 as is possible should be gained, as many local forms are certain to 

 be now rapidly approaching extermination. 



