118 Gil idc ■ to O u) 'ch oph ora. 



Class 4.— ONYCHOPHORA. 



Wall-case This division of the Animal kingdom is represented by a number 

 on VlO) ^^ forms closely resembling one another in appearance and habits, 

 and for a long time known by the general name of Peripattis. In 

 recent years the differences between them have been accentuated 

 by systematists. Examples are shown of Peripatus from Jamaica, 

 of Pcripatopsis from the Cape of Good Hope, and of Eoperipatiis 

 from M alacca ; while figures illustrative of the natural habit are 

 given of Peripatopsis capiensis, of Eoperipahis viridimaculatus from 

 New Zealand, and Parapcripatas from New Britain. It will be 

 seen, therefore, that the distribution of this form is extremely wide, 



Fig. 81. 



I'cripdtns braziliensis. (Natural size ; from life.) 



and, like other widely distributed forms, it gives indications of 

 l)eing a very primitive type. 



The history of the discovery of its affinities is one of the most 

 interesting pages in the history of Zoology. First discovered by 

 Guilding, it was, from its shape and hal)its, regarded as a slug ; 

 later on, attention was directed to the fact that the body consisted 

 of a series of successive segments, and the question was hotly dis- 

 cussed as to whether it was more nearly allied to the ringed worms 

 or to the centipedes : against their alliance with the latter there was 

 the weighty objection that nearly all the muscles of Peripatus were 

 plain, and not banded. Up to the year 1873 no living specimen 

 liad been examined by any anatomist; in that year, however, 

 during the voyage of H.M.S. " Challenger," H. N. Moseley, one of 



