468 



NATURE 



[September 17, 189: 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 



[The Editor aoes not hold himself responsible for opinions ex- 

 pressed by his correspondents. Neither can he undertake 

 to return, or to correspond with the writers of, rejected 

 manuscripts intended for this or any other part of '^ Kiv&s.. 

 No notice is taken of anonymous communications. "X 



A New Mammal from Sumatra. 



A FEW years ago a new and interesting mammal, which is 

 exceedingly rare even in its native haunts, was brought to the 

 then President of Palembang — Mr. A. Pruys van der Hoeven. 

 This gentleman, who is not only an eager sportsman, but also 

 well versed in natural history, recognized it to be new to science, 

 and to be more closely allied to certain representatives of the 

 Edentata than to any other order of mammals. 



The type-specimen was preserved in captivity for several 

 weeks, was fed on ants, and afterwards on cooked rice, and was 

 sent alive to Europe in order to be examined, described, and 

 ultimately preserved in the Royal Museum at Leyden. It un- 

 fortunately died on board the vessel on its way to Holland, and, 

 by an unaccountable blunder on the part of one of those in 

 charge, its remains were not preserved, but thrown over- 

 board. 



During my own stay in Sumatra, from February till May 1891, 

 I took particular trouble to obtain further information concern- 

 ing this animal, and have found the fact of its existence — though, 

 at the same time, of its exceeding rarity — confirmed in a way 

 which does not allow me to doubt that, ere long, further spe- 

 cimens will be available for a thorough examination, also with 

 respect to anatomical detail. My own attempts to secure a 

 second specimen have not as yet been successful, but as they 

 have drawn the attention of many persons to this animal, 

 I feel bound, in deference to the claims to priority of its original 

 discoverer, who has put his preliminary description as well as 

 sketches of the animal at my disposal, to introduce this peculiar 

 mammal into science, notwithstanding the fact that the type- 

 specimen has been lost. The generic name has been selected, 

 not with a view of indicating any closer anatomical relations 

 with the genus Manis, but only to indicate that a hairy anteater 

 is meant. 



Trichomanis Hoevenii, gen. et sp. nov, — " Animal of the size 

 of a very large cat. Fur grey, with a black longitudinal band 

 along the middle of the back. Snout elongated and more or 

 less conical, with a small mouth at the extremity. A long 

 cylindrical tongue, which is thrust out, serves the animal in the 

 collection of ants, which are its natural food. A more or less 

 bushy tail. Ears not conspicuous. Legs higher than those of 

 Manis, strong claws to the feet." 



I have no doubt that this description — however superficial — 

 is more than sufficient for the recognition of the animal as soon 

 as it will have been reobtained. The type-specimen was caught 

 in the mountainous districts that separate the Residencies of 

 Palembang and Bencoolen in Sumatra. 



A, A. W. HUBRECHT. 

 Utrecht, September 7. 



An Oviparous Species of Peripatus. 



Peripatus leuckartii has proved to be by no means uncommon 

 in Victoria, being now recorded from a good many distinct 

 localities, and forming a very characteristic constituent of our 

 cryptozoic fauna. Hitherto, however, little has been known of 

 its habits, and nothing of its mode of reproduction. The only 

 observer, so far as I am aware, who has recorded anything con- 

 cerning its life history, is Mr. Fletcher, who has described (Proc. 

 Linn. Soc. N.S.W., October 31, 1888) four very young indi- 

 viduals, the progeny of a female kept by him in captivity in 

 damp moss and leaves for four months (July to October in- 

 clusive). Mr. Fletcher did not observe the birth of the young, 

 but found them in company with the mother when apparently 

 only a few days old. He assumes, naturally enough, that they 

 were born alive, as in all other species of Peripatus whose life- 

 history is known ; this viviparous habit being, indeed, one of 

 the most remarkable characters of the genus. 



In May last I secured a few good specimens of Peripatus 

 leuckartii, which I have since kept alive in a small vivarium 

 specially arranged for the purpose. The vivarium consists of 

 a large glass jar, with a flat glass cover supported above the rim 



of the jar on two thin slips of glass, so as to admit of free 

 ventilation. I keep a small open jar full of water inside the 

 large one, and the floor of the vivarium is covered with a thick 

 layer of very rotten wood, kept moist by the evaporation of 

 the water. 



Under these conditions Peripatus flourishes well, and the 

 specimens may be inspected when desired, by turning over the 

 bits of rotten wood. On making such an inspection to-day, I 

 found that some twelve or fifteen eggs had been deposited 

 beneath some of the pieces of rotten wood, and in crevices of 

 the same. Careful examination showed that these eggs were 

 undoubtedly those of Peripatus leuckartii. I collected all I 

 could find, and removed them, with some of the rotten wood, to 

 a separate receptacle, and then carefully turned out the vivarium 

 and examined its contents. I found that there were present four 

 specimens of Peripatus, one male and three females, all ap- 

 parently in good health, and that there was nothing else which 

 could have laid the eggs ; a very small ant being about the 

 largest living thing present except the Peripatus. It is now 

 some ten weeks since the vivarium was stocked, and as I have 

 carefully examined it several times during that period, I am 

 sure that the eggs must have been recently deposited. 



The view that Peripatus leuckartii is really oviparous receives 

 strong confirmation from anatomical examination of adult 

 females. In these I have nearly always found eggs in the uterus, 

 but, although I have dissected specimens taken in December, 

 May, and July, I have never found any embryos. The single 

 July specimen which I have yet dissected was captured at the 

 end of the month and given to me by Prof. Spencer ; it con- 

 tained neither eggs nor embryos ; as it appeared to be adult, it 

 is not unlikely that the eggs had been laid. Moreover, the 

 structure of the eggs in utero is very characteristic, and argues 

 strongly against the probability of intra-uterine development. 

 They are very large, oval in shape, and consist of a very tough, 

 thick, elastic membrane inclosing a quantity of thick milky fluid 

 full of yolk granules. 



I have examined microscopically only one egg after laying, 

 as I wish, if possible, to observe the development ; but this one 

 agrees so closely with those found in utero that there can be no 

 doubt of its identity. It was of just about the same shape and 

 size {-i^ inch long by -^-^ inch broad), of a very pale yellow 

 colour, with a very tough, elastic membrane, and a milky fluid 

 contents containing very many yolk granules. The only differ- 

 ence concerns the almost chitinous-looking membrane, which, 

 instead of having a smooth surface, or nearly so, as when in 

 utero, is exquisitely sculptured or embossed in a beautiful and 

 regular design. The design consists of curious little papillae, 

 somewhat resembling worm casts, arranged at fairly regular 

 intervals over the surface of the egg, with much finer, close-set, 

 meandering ridges occupying the spaces between them. Such 

 sculpturing is, as is well known, characteristic of many insect 

 eggs, and it renders those of Peripatus especially interesting in 

 view of the relationships of that animal. As it is not present 

 in intra-uterine eggs, it must be formed as the egg passes through 

 the vagina, which is large and thick-walled. 



It thus appears that Peripatus leuckartii lays eggs in July, and 

 it appears also, from Mr. Fletcher's observations, that the young 

 are hatched at the end of October. As, however, I have also 

 found large eggs in the uterus of a specimen captured in De-^ 

 cember, I think it not improbable that the animal may be 

 double-brooded. (I have used the term "uterus" in accord- 

 ance with the customary nomenclature ; it would be better, 

 perhaps, to speak only of " oviducts " in P. leuckartii.) 



The mode of reproduction of Peripatus letukarlii seems thus 

 to differ widely from that known in all other species, and to 

 conform rather to the insect type ; and, considering the immense 

 quantity of food-yolk present, it is probable that the development 

 also differs in a similar way. This I hope to be able to work out, 

 but the presence of so much fluid and granular yolk will, I fear, 

 render the task very difficult. Arthur Dendy. 



University, Melbourne, July 31. 



The Sun's Radiation of Heat. 



A FEW months ago I sent to the National Review a paper, 

 which the editors kindly inserted, on the sun's radiation of 

 heat. So far as I am aware, my theory has been completely 

 ignored by those best competent to form an opinion upon the 



NO. II 42, VOL. 44] 



