J. R. WARD ON PERIPATUS MOSELEYl. 425 



its geographical distribution, forms the first section of Vol. V. of 

 " The Cambridge Natural History," now in the library of the 

 Club, it will be unnecessary to refer here to the details of its 

 anatomy therein given, since the specimen before the meeting 

 seems chiefly to differ from Peripatus capensis in the number of 

 its legs and the locality in which it was found ; but it may be 

 mentioned that, on comparison with the descriptions of the South 

 African species referred to by Sedgwick, this appears to be 

 identical with Peripatus Moseleyi. I cannot, however, refrain 

 from quoting a portion of Mr. Sedgwick's eloquent description of 

 the living animal as follows : — 



" Peripatus, though a lowly organised animal, and of remark- 

 able sluggishness, with but slight development of the higher 

 organs of sense, with eyes the only function of which is to enable 

 it to avoid the light — though related to those animals most 

 repulsive to the aesthetic sense of man, animals which crawl 

 upon their bellies and spit at or poison their prey — is yet, strange 

 to say, an animal of striking beauty. The exquisite sensitiveness 

 and constantly changing form of the antennae, the well rounded 

 plump body, the eyes set like small diamonds on the side of the 

 head, the delicate feet, and, above all, the rich colouring and 

 velvety texture of the skin, all combine to give these animals 

 an aspect of quite exceptional beauty. Of all the species which 

 I have seen alive, the most beautiful are the dark green indi- 

 viduals of Capensis, and the species which I have called Balfouri. 

 These animals, so far as skin is concerned, are not surpassed in 

 the animal kingdom. I shall never forget my astonishment and 

 delight when, on tearing away the bark of a rotten tree-stump 

 in the forest on Table Mountain, I first came upon one of these 

 animals in its natural haunts ; or when Mr. Trimen showed me 

 in confinement at the South African Museum a fine fat full- 

 grown female accompanied by her large family of thirty or more 

 just born but pretty young, some of which were luxuriously 

 creeping about on the beautiful skin of their mother's back." * 



The particulars I was able to give as to the one sent to me, at 

 once aroused the interest of my correspondent, who endeavoured 

 to obtain some other specimens, with the object, if possible, of 

 learning something more as to their habits by personal observa- 

 tion of living animals ; and, believing that a brief resume of his 

 * Cambridge Natural History, vol. v.. p. 5. 



