32 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. 



rotten wood. On making such an inspection on the 3 1st 

 of July last, I found that some twelve or fifteen eggs* 

 had been deposited beneath bits of rotten wood, and in 

 crevices of the same. Careful examination showed that 

 these were undoubtedly eggs laid by Peripatus. I collected 

 all I could find and removed them, with some of the rotten 

 wood, to a separate receptacle, and then carefully turned out 

 the vivarium, and examined its contents. I ibund that 

 there were ])resent four specimens of Peripatus leuchartii, 

 one male and three females, all apparently in good health,-f- 

 and that there was nothing else which could possibly have 

 laid the eggs, the largest living thing visible besides the 

 Peripatus being a ver}^ small ant. 



The vivarium was stocked on the 18th of May, and as 1 

 have carefully examined it several times since then, I am 

 sure that the eggs must have been recently deposited. The 

 view that they are really eggs of Peripatus receives strong 

 support, if required, from anatomical examination of adult 

 females. In these, I have nearly always found eggs in the 

 uterus, but, although I have dissected specimens killed in 

 December, May and July, I have never found embryos.:|: 

 Moreover, the structure of the eggs in utero is very 

 characteristic, and argues strongly against any idea of 

 intra-uterine development. They are very large, oval in 

 shape, and consist each of a very tough, thick membrane, 

 enclosing a quantit}^ of thick milky fluid full of yolk 

 granules. I have only examined one egg microscojncally 

 after laying, as 1 wish as far as possible to watch the 

 development ; but this one agreed so closely with those 

 found in utero that there can, I think, be no reasonable 

 doubt of its identity. It was of just about the same size 

 (4^ ^y 5% hich), of the same colour (very pale yellow), with a 

 very tough membrane and a milky fluid contents containing 

 very many yolk granules, but with no appearance of an 

 embryo. The only difi'erence concerns the almost chitinoUwS- 

 looking membrane which, instead of being smooth or nearly 

 so, as when in utero, is exquisitely sculptured or embossed 



* To determine the exact number would have involved breaking up the 

 •wood and thus disturbing the eggs more than seemed desirable. 



t The male has since died, but the females were all still alive and appa- 

 rently healthy on August 17th. 



J The only July specimen dissected contained neither eggs nor embryos. 

 Possibly the eggs had been recently deposited. The specimen was captured 

 quite at the end of tlie month. 



