1900] 



95 



WORMS. (PLANAR IAN.) 



"Platworm"; " Land Planarian." Bipalinm keirevsf. 



BiPALiuM KEWENSE. — 1, extended; 2, contracted ; 3, 4, and 5, different form!? 

 taken by the head — all life size. (After figures by Prof. F. .Jeffrey Bell). 6, bifid 

 form of head, rather larger than life. 



On May 20th, 1900, a specimen of the very peculiar looking creature 

 figured above was sent rae by one of our leading horticultural firms, 

 requesting information regarding the nature of the specimen. On 

 investigation, and also with the aid of technical assistance afforded 

 me, I found the somewhat worm-like and bifid-headed creature to be 

 Bipalium kewense, and consequently to belong to the Geoplanidae, or 

 "Land Planarians," a division of the PUmariadcB, which is one of 

 the families into which the class of Vermes, or Worms, is subdivided. 



Therefore, as they may be correctly described by the word " Worms," 

 which conveys some sort of an idea of their appearance, I have this 

 year placed them under the above name, as at heading, with the 

 distinctive appellation of " Planarian " added. 



These creatures — that is, the Geoplanidse, or Land Planarians — are 

 characterised by their long and flattened body, which is furnished with 

 a foot-like ventral surface. Fig. 1 shows the Bipalium elongated into 

 its worm-like shape ; fig. 2, contracted and widened so as to somewhat 

 resemble a long Slug. The colouring, as shown in my specimen, was 

 of a kind of livid grey, with three darker longitudinal stripes starting 



