474 ADAM SEDGWICK. 



Peripatus from Demerara. 



In January of this year (1887) Mr. W. L. Sclater brought 

 to England twenty female specimens of Pe ripatus collected at 

 Maccasseema, on the Pomeroon River. The specimens, when 

 they came into my hands, were torpid and apparently at the 

 point of death, and it was necessary to open them at once and 

 remove the embryos. I was unable therefore to make a de- 

 tailed examination of them in the fresh state. 



Mr. Sclater has already (No. 41) given a short description 

 of the specimens. To his description I add here notes of my 

 own observations, made on the first arrival of the animals, and 

 an account of those which I have since made on their preserved 

 bodies. 



All the specimens (twenty in number) were females. The 

 colour was a dark brown on the dorsal surface, with a median 

 diffuse dark stripe, such as Ernst describes. The antennae 

 were of a darker colour than the rest of the body. The ven- 

 tral surface was higher than the dorsal — a kind of flesh colour. 

 The animals turned quite red in spirit, and the red colouring 

 matter was gradually dissolved by the spirit leaving them a 

 lighter brown. 



In well-grown specimens the uterus contained ten embryos 

 in each horn, of which the fifth from the ovary was gene- 

 rally in the spiral stage. The receptacula ovorum seemed to 

 contain ova, which were "038 mm. in diameter. The large 

 eggs in the ovary were the same size. 



In one specimen, which I carefully examined for the pur- 

 pose, there were cilia in the receptacula seminis in the 

 position described by Gaffron. There can be no doubt of 

 their presence. I saw them in active movement. I am very 

 glad to have had the chance of confirming Gaffron on this 

 point. The older embryos had the same colour as the adult. 

 I could not be certain of the presence of spermatozoa in 

 either the receptaculum seminis or in the oviduct. If present 

 at all, they must have been few in number. 



