Observations on the Australian Si^ecies of Periimtus. 51 



which they kindly placed at my disposal in a living and 

 healthy condition. From the examination of these specimens, 

 I have been able to gain a fairly good idea of the extent of 

 variation in colour markings which the species undergoes ; 

 and also to make some observations on the internal anatomy. 

 I have come to the conclusion that there is only one 

 Australian species yet known, and the present appears to 

 me to be a good opportunity for bringing together our 

 scattered knowledge concerning it, and recording my own 

 observations. The anatomical part of my paper is not yet 

 ready, although I have already carefully studied the anatomy, 

 by means of dissection and serial sections, but I hope to 

 publish it at a future date, and also to be able to give an 

 account of the development. 



History of our Knoavledge of Peripatus leuckartii. 



The species was originally described by Saenger, in 1869. 

 I have not been able to see the original paper, but Sedgwick 

 gives the title as follows : — " Description of a PeviiJatiis fioin 

 Australia," " Transactions of the Russian Assembly of 

 Naturalists," held at Moscow in 1867, Moscow, 1869 

 (Russian). 



This paper was preceded by a preliminary account by 

 the same author, as I learn from the Archiv filr Natur- 

 geschichte (Jahrgang 35, Band 2, p. 277), in which Leuckart, 

 in his "Bericht lib. d. Leist. in d. Naturgeschichte der niederen 

 Thiere wahrend der J. 1868-69," remarks: — •" Onychophori, 

 Der seit Grube (1853) nichtwieder untersuchte Peripatus wird 

 auf Anregfung; des Ref von Saenojer zum Geno-enstand einer 

 anatomischen Untersuchung gemacht, deren Hauptresultate 

 vorlaufig in den Protocollen der Moskauer Naturforscher- 

 versammlunfic mitgfetheilt sind." A brief absti'act of the 

 paper then follows. 



Saenger's complete paper is also noticed in the Archiv fiii' 

 Naturgeschichte (Jahrgang 37, Band 2, p. 406.) The notice 

 runs as follows : — " Onychophori. Sanger's Untersuchungen 

 iiber * Peripatus capensis Gr. und P. Leuckartii,' die wir nach 

 einer vorlaufigen Mittheilung schon im letzten Jahresberichte 

 anzogen, sind in den Verhandlungen der Moskauer Natur- 

 forsclierversammlung, Abth. Zoologie S. 237-262. Tab. 

 XII u. XIII inzwischen ausfuhrlich verofFentlicht. Die 

 neue Art, die aus Neu-Hollandstammt, wirdfolgendermaassen 

 beschrieben : Fiinfzehn Paar Fusstummel, von denen das 

 letzte Paar die GeschlechtsofFnung zwischen sich nimmt. 



E 2 



