Dr. M. Scliulfzo on the Terresfrial Plaiiari?p. 3 



an anterior and two posterior, the ramifications of which arc 

 usually repeatedly divided. The proboscis, as it glimmers through 

 the skin, appears as a long cylinder, in the middle of which the 

 buccal orifice is visible as a transverse cleft. On a closer ex- 

 amination of the proboscis after removal, however, it is found 

 that it may be dilated into a considerable flat cup or disk, which 

 is sometimes elliptic, sometimes roundish, with its circumference 

 sometimes nearly entire, sometimes more or less deeply lobed, 

 and exhibits in its base, a little before the middle, a rather nar- 

 row oesophageal orifice, a structure which occurs in many of the 

 larger marine Planarue, but not in our freshwater species. In 

 repose, the lateral margins are rolled in, and the whole organ 

 folded together in such a way that it represents a cylinder with 

 an anterior, undulated, longitudinal fissure. 



" Points of difference from the genus Planaria are, the elon- 

 gated form of the body, the slight depression, and the acute 

 anterior extremity. The habit is thus often more that of a 

 Nemertoid than of a Plannna. The eyes also, as far as they are 

 known, are different ; they are present in unusual number, not, 

 as in Planaria nigra, forming a simple series, running regularly 

 on the anterior margin, but compressed into dense streaks or 

 spots near the anterior margin, and extending from thence in 

 an irregular row, which constantly becomes less dense posteriorly 

 along the lateral margins to the hinder extremity. 



" These peculiarities, in conjunction with their dwelling-place, 

 certainly justify their generic sei)aration from the aquatic Pla- 

 narifp. In accordance with the analogy of Typhloplana and 

 Leptoplana, the name Geoplana might be formed for them. 

 They like moderately moist places, under wood, bark, and stones, 

 and between leaves of the Bromeliacese (but not in the water 

 there accumulated). They appear to rest by day, and to crawl 

 about during the night. Eggs somewhat larger than tho*e of 

 Planaria Ulva, and roundish, which could hardly belong to any 

 other animal, were once found under wood. 



" An important question is, whether the Geoplana, like their 

 aquatic allies, bear cilia upon the surface of their bodies. Not 

 possessing a microscope, and remembering, an experiment in 

 J. Miiller's physiological course, I sprinkled a large specimen of 

 Geoplana nifiventi-is with a little arrowroot, when I saw it move 

 constantly forwards and sometimes a little outwards on the back, 

 and backwards on the ventral surface, by which the existence of 

 cilia seems to be placed beyond a doubt. 



" The species hitherto observed are : — 



" 1 . Geoplana tristriata, pale yellowish-green, with three nar- 

 row, dark, longitudinal lines on the back ; belly paler. Greatest 

 breadth about the second third part of the length, where the 



1* 



