ON THE OVIPAROrS SPhJCIHS OP ONYGHOPHORA. 365 



couviuced me that Messrs. FJetclier and Sedgwick's sugges- 

 tions as to tlie specific identity of the Victorian species with P. 

 Leuckartii were correct, and on several subsequent occa- 

 sions (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) I referred to the Victorian species 

 under tliat name. 



In 1891 I made the somewhat surprising discovery that 

 the Victorian Peripatus, unlike all other known species, lays 

 eggs, and I therefore announced that P. Leuckartii was 

 oviparous (6, 7, 8, 9). For making this statement I was very 

 severely criticised by Mr. J. J. Fletcher (6), who certainly 

 showed conclusively that the common New South Wales 

 Peripatus is viviparous, like the great majority of species, a 

 fact which, through the kindness of my friend Mr. T. Steel, 

 I was subsequently enabled to verify for myself. The 

 unfortunate controversy on this subject, which has probably 

 done much towards preventing zoologists from appreciating 

 the true facts of the case, was really due to the confusion 

 between two species (the nomenclature of one of which is not 

 yet by any means definitely settled), so that perhaps it was 

 hardly worth while to say so much about it. As, however, I 

 replied fully (11) to Mr. Fletcher's criticisms at the time, 

 I need say no more about them in this place. 



Meanwhile, in 1890, I had described (5), under the name 

 Peripatus insignis, a second Victorian species, dis- 

 tinguished by the presence of only fourteen pairs of walking 

 legs, and this species was afterwards found by Professor 

 Baldwin Spencer (2) in Tasmania, which would appear to be 

 its headquarters. 



In my Presidential Address to the Biological Section of 

 the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, 

 at Brisbane in January, 1895, 1 pointed out a further element 

 of doubt which enters into the nomenclature of the Australian 

 species of Peripatus. Professor Baldwin Spencer had 

 obtained in London a translation of Sanger's original 

 diagnosis of Peripatus Leuckartii, of which he had 

 kindly given me a copy. Concerning this I made the 

 following remarks in my address : 



