362 Capt. F. W. Hutton on Peripatus novas-zealandi^. 



Length 1-2 inches. My largest specimens have been ob- 

 tained at Dune Jin. 



The young when first born are pure white, with the antemise 

 slightly tinged with purple. 



In appearance this species closely resembles P. capensisj 

 figured in the ' Zoology of the Voyage of the Novara ;' but it 

 has two pairs of legs less, and is hermaphrodite. 



The geographical distribution of Peripatus is interesting, 

 species being found in the West Indies, Chili, New Zealand, 

 and the Cape of Good Hope. We must therefore suppose 

 that it lived on the old Antarctic continent which, I have 

 shown*, probably existed during the Upper Jurassic and Lower 

 Cretaceous periods. 



Habits. — They live in decayed wood, under stones, or in 

 crevices of rock. They are nocturnal, but will feed in the day- 

 time when hungry. They feed upon animals. I have seen one 

 shoot out its viscid fluid from the oral papillae at a fly intro- 

 duced into the jar in which it was confined, and stick it down; 

 it then went up and sucked its juices, rejecting the whole of 

 the integument. This viscid fluid is for offensive and not 

 defensive purposes f. In the winter they become half-torpid, 

 although procreation still goes on. During this time of the 

 year I have never seen them feed, and they cannot emit their 

 viscid fluid, or only in very small quantity. They move with 

 deliberation, entirely by means of their legs, the body being 

 much lengthened. When walking, the antennae are constantly 

 moved about as feelers. If a needle is placed upright imme- 

 diately in front of one, the antenna is drawn past it without 

 actual contact ; but the points of the hairs probably touch the 

 needle. Although viviparous, the eggs are often extruded 

 before development is complete ; but these always die. They 

 appear to breed all the year round, as I have never opened 

 one that did not contain embryos. Notwithstanding this, they 

 are local and not very abundant. When divided they die 

 very quickly ; and they are easily killed by immersion in 

 spirit. When killed in spirit, they often die bent backwards. 

 The body shows no segments, and there are no perivisceral 

 septa. The only account of the anatomy of Peripatus that I 

 have been able to see is the abstract of Mr. Moseley's paper 

 given in the Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 4, vol. xiv. p. 225 ; 



* Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 1874, ser. 4, vol. xiii. p. 100, and ' Report on 

 the Geology of Otago ' (Dunediu, 1875), p. 85. 



t Mr. Belt mentions a species of Myriopod, belonging to the order 

 Sugentia of Brandt, that discharges a similar viscid fluid from its mouth 

 to a distance of 3 inches, by means of which it secures its prey ('Naturalist 

 in Nicaragua,' p. 140). 



