ON LANDPLANARIANS. 29 



A careful examination of many species, and, in the first 

 place, a minute comparison of their anatomy, will un- 

 doubtedly lead to a good systematical division, which at 

 this moment cannot yet be given. 



The genus Bipalium, which is characterized by a well- 

 developed semilunar head with numerous eyes, occurs in 

 South- and East-Asia and in the Malay Archipelago. A 

 single species, Bipalium kewense, found in 1878 by Mose- 

 ley in a hot-house in Kew-Gardens and undoubtedly im- 

 ported together with exotic plants, has since been found 

 in Berlin, Sydney and Cape-town: its original habitat 

 however is still unknown. 



The genus Geoplana has been found in Asia, Australia, 

 South-Africa and South-America in numerous species and 

 it misses the lunate head of Bipalium, the forepart being 

 mostly obtusely rounded. It agrees with Bipalium in having 

 many eyes. 



As for Rhynchodemus ., the genus with only two eyes 

 and a body gradually tapering at the two ends, many new 

 species were , during the last years , recorded from different 

 parts of Australia, besides the already known species from 

 North- and South- America , Eastern Asia, Samoa and 

 South-Africa. 



Prof. Dr. L. von Graff in Graz, who is at this time 

 preparing a monograph of the Landplanarians and who, 

 for this purpose, has been collecting a huge stock of 

 specimens from all parts of the world , announces in a small 

 paper ') 125 species belonging to Geoplana^ 72 to Rhyn- 

 chodemus and 74 to Bipalium. Considering these large 

 numbers , we should not wonder but a careful examination 

 of so many forms of different localities will considerably 

 increase our knowledge. Prof, von Graff kindly wrote to me, 

 that his investigations urged him to divide the Landpla- 

 narians (Terricola) into 5 Families with 18 Genera. 



1) L. von Graff. Die von Dr. E. Modigliani in Sumatra gesammelten Landpla- 

 narien, in: Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Geneva. 2e Ser. Vol. 

 XIV, 1894. 



Notes from the Leyden Museum, "Vol. XVH. 



