TWO NEW SPECIES OF ONYCHOPHORA. 508 



Inyers as tlie uterine wall, namely a peritoneal investment, a 

 tunica muscularis, a tunica propria, and a lining epitlielium. 

 The first, second, and fonrtli of these layers are very distinct 

 in Eoperipatus, but the tunica propria is not well developed 

 either in the oviducts or in the uteri. 



The ova in both species are large and full of yolk. In size 

 and structure they resemble those of the New Zealand forms, 

 and differ most of all from those of the genus Peripatus; 

 although as far as external characters are concerned Eoperi- 

 patus is more closely related to that genus than to any other. 

 When this feature of the ovum is considered in connection 

 with the external characters, it is impossible not to accept 

 Mr. Sedgwick's conclusion (14), and to reject that of Kennel 

 (9) and Willey (18), who think that the yolk-beai-ing con- 

 dition of the ovum is not a primitive but a secondary feature. 

 This question, however, will be discussed further on, as well 

 as the question as to which is the most primitive genus of the 

 Peripatidae. 



The Receptaculum seminis :— In Eoperipatus there 

 are a couple of well-developed recoptacula seminis, such as are 

 found in the genera Peripatus, Paraperipatus, and 

 Peripatoides. In the genus Paraperipatus, the "in- 

 fundibnlum," which corresponds to what has been called the 

 oviduct in the present memoir, passes directly into the recep- 

 taculum seminis, and the uterine canal starts from the 

 opposite side of the same. The " infundibulum " and the 

 uterine camil are put into communication with each other by 

 means of a narrow secondary duct (18). In the genus Peri- 

 patus, on the other hand, the main duct passes alongside 

 the receptaculum seminis, and seems to communicate with it 

 only in an indirect way, by means of a couple of narrow ducts 

 opening into the receptaculum seminis on either side, and 

 into the main duct by a common aperture. The condition 

 occurring in Eoperipatus is exactly parallel to that found 

 in the genus Peripatus. The main canal passes alongside 

 the receptaculum seminis, and communicates with it only m 

 an indirect way by means of two diverging narrow ducts, 



