THE VICTORIAN LAND PLANARIANS. 37 



Croydon, on December 17th, 1890, I found more than fifty specimens of this species 

 mider a single log, all agreeing closely in colour and markings. 



I was at first much puzzled at not being able to find the genital aperture in this 

 species. I could not find it in the Otway Forest specimens recorded in my previous 

 memoir, nor could I find it in the specimens collected at Croydon in December, 1890, 

 though I carefully examined a considerable number. When, however, I came to examine 

 specimens collected at Creswick in March, 1891, 1 found it at once in ten out of eleven 

 specimens, the eleventh being a very small one. The Croydon specimens were fully 

 of the average size and the obvious conclusion seems to be that the genital aperture 

 is visible only at certain times of the year (autumn). With this we may associate the 

 fact, recorded in my last memoir, that Geoplana mediolineata copulates in the beginning 

 of April. Possibly all our land Planarians breed in the autumn. 



The peripharyngeal aperture in G. iniinda is nearly central and the genital 

 aperture only a short way behind it, as originally described by Fletcher and Hamilton. 



Professor Spencer* has also recorded the species from the country lying between 

 Marysville and the source of the Yarra along the Wood's Point Pioad, and has 

 given an excellent coloured figure of the living worm. 



I have now to mention a slight variety of the species which I found at 

 Heidelberg and which was again obtained by Mr. Fiddian at Creswick. The 

 Heidelberg specimens, three in number, are thus described in my notes on the living 

 animals : — " In size and shape closely resembles G. munda, the ground coloiu- is also 

 very similar, on the dorsal surface a slightly mottled olive brown ; ventral surface 

 pale yellow. In the mid-dorsal line a fine, very pale brown band, edged on either 

 side by a fine dark brown line which forms a margin to the ground colour. No other 

 stripes." The Creswick specimens presented exactly the same peculiarity, viz., the 

 absence of the dorso-lateral dark stripes ; they were collected in May, and show the 

 genital aperture distinctly. 



17. Geoplana adcE, Dendy. 



(PI. IV., Figs. 3, 3«.) 



I have again collected this very handsome Planarian at Macedon and have also 

 found it at Croydon and Fern Tree Gully. The genital aperture, which I had not 

 been able to distinguish when I first described the species, is situate only a short way 

 behind the peripharyngeal and a long way from the posterior end of the body ; it 

 appears to vary in distinctness with the time of the year, as in G. uiiiuda. 



* Loc. cit. 



