94 



OBSERVATIONS ON PERIPATUS. 

 By Thos. Steel, F.C.S. 



The following remarks refer entirely to the ordinary New- 

 South Wales Peripaius, the form for which the name P. Leuckarti, 

 var. orientalis has been proposed by Mr. Fletcher.* 



For some years past I have taken a good deal of interest in this 

 creature amongst other of the cryptozoic fauna of Australia; 

 and having had numerous living specimens of all ages under 

 constant observation in vivaria during a continuous period of 

 over a year, I have thought that my observations would be of 

 interest to naturalists. 



In the course of a number of visits to the Moss Vale district 

 during the summer of 1894-5, and again in 1895-6, 1 was success- 

 ful in collecting a considerable number of specimens. 



The most remarkable feature about my collection, apart from 

 the unusually large number of individuals of both sexes secured, 

 is the very interesting range of colour variation which it 

 illustrates. 



It is not my intention to enter into any details regarding 

 classification or structure, but to give a statement of such facts 

 in connection with the habits and life-history of the creature as 

 I have observed ; together with a few details of the individual 

 range of colour, and the relative proportions of the sexes in the 

 specimens collected. 



The summer of 1894-5 was remarkable, in the district above 

 mentioned, for the abundance of various cryptozoic forms of life, 

 particularly land Planarians, and the conditions seem to have 

 been peculiarly favourable for Peripatus, judging by the number 

 of individuals which I observed. 



The total number of adults which I collected in the Moss Vale 

 district during that summer was 579, of which 390 were 



• P.L.S. N.S.W. (2 Ser.) Vol. x. 186. 



