Observations on the Australian Species of Perlpatus. 57 



genital papilla in the female, are all characters of the 

 Victorian specimens examined by me. 



The third diagnostic character given by Sedgwick, 

 however — namety, that concerning the colouration of the 

 ventral surface, and the absence of a mottled appearance 

 therefrom — no longer holds good, as will be seen later on, 

 from the description of the colouration of the Victorian 

 specimens. 



Concerning the external anatomy Sedgwick also men- 

 tions the following points, all of which I am able to 

 confirm in the case of Victorian specimens : — " The genital 

 papilla ... is between the legs of the fifteenth pair. 

 The feet and legs resemble exactly, so far as could be made 

 out, those of the New Zealand species. The feet have 

 the median dorsal papilla so characteristic of that species ; 

 there are three pads on the legs, and a patch of blue 

 pigment round the opening of the nephridia." 



It is, perhaps, still doubtful whether any constant specific 

 characters can be derived from the colouration of Feri^^atus 

 leucl'artii, but in the next section of my paper I shall 

 endeavour to show that the colour and markings, however 

 they may vary, are in all cases deducible from a typical and 

 characteristic pattern. 



Variation in Size and Colour Markings of 

 Peripatus leuckartii. 



The variation in size and colouration of the species is 

 amply illustrated by the thirteen Victorian specimens which 

 I have been able to examine in the living condition, and I 

 shall therefore confine my description to these. As I have 

 already pointed out, Mr, Tryon, Mr. Olliff, and Mr. Fletcher 

 have also given some account of the colouration of their 

 specimens, which seem to agree with one or other of 

 the Victorian ones. The size of the specimens probably 

 depends principally upon their age. 



The following is a brief account of the Victorian specimens. 

 It will be seen that they form a series with two extremes — 

 (1) the red, and (2) the blue (which becomes so dark as to 

 appear black when the specimen is examined as an opaque 

 object). I will begin with the red specimens : — 



(a, h) The two specimens obtained at Warburton. The 

 general tint is brownish-red, with only traces in one specimen 

 of the bluish colour. The markings on the body are 



