518 MR. R TRIMICN ON BIPALIUM KEWENSE. [JuilC 23, 



diverticulum, which joins the duct of the spermatheca just as it per- 

 forates the longitudinal muscular layer on its way to the exterior, has 

 delicate muscular walls consisting of circular oblique and longitudinal 

 muscle-fibres well supplied with blood-capillaries; the interior is 

 lined with a delicate epithelium, the cells of which are so excessively 

 thin that hardly anything of them is recognizable but the nuclei ; 

 this epithelium contrasts very conspicuously with the tall columnar 

 cells which line the cavity of the spermatheca. The diverticula 

 agree in their minute structure with the spermathecae of Vrochcsta ; 

 it does not appear likely that they are immature considering their 

 large size and the fully mature condition of the Worm. 



The ovaries and oviducts occupy the usual position ; the oviducts 

 ajipear to open separately at either extremity of the slit-like female 

 orifice ; I am not, however, al)Solutely certain about this. 



It is interesting to note the great difference in the spermathecal 

 diverticula of this species and of Acanthodrilus (see Proc. Zool. Soc. 

 ] 885, p. 829) as regards their histological structure. 



7. On Bipaliwn kewense at the Cape. 

 By Roland Trimen, F.R.S. &c. 



[Keceived June 7, 1887.] 



The characteristic figures of this Planarian given by Prof. Jeffrey 

 Bell (Proc. Zool, Soc. 1886, pi. xviii.), together with Prof. Moseley's 

 diagnosis of the species (xlnn. & M-ig. Nat. Hist. 5th ser. 1878, i. 

 p. 237), have enabled me to identify it with a worm of which a 

 good many specimens were brought to me in the years 1883-1885. 

 Most of the examples were found by Mr. U. Chalwin, of the Botanic 

 Gardens, Cape Town, from whom, on the 20th of January, 1883, I 

 received the first and largest individual I have seen. I sent five 

 specimens to Prof. Moseley in May 1883, along with some Peripafus 

 specimens forwarded to Mr. A. Sedgwick ; but it was not till the 

 end of 1885 that I learned from Prof. Moseley the generic position 

 of the worm. Five living specimens have recently been sent to me 

 by Mr. Chalwin, and the comparison of them with the figures and 

 diagnosis referred to leaves no doubt of their being B. kewense- 



Unfortunately the circumstances of its occurrence here throw no 

 light on the proper habitat of the species, as all the examples (20) 

 brought to me, and others of whicli I have been informed, were 

 found in gardens. No instance of the discovery of the worm in a 

 wild uncultivated station is known to me. Mr. Chalwin found most 

 of his specimens under flower-pots or plant-cases standing on damp 

 garden-mould, sometimes in ordinary glass frames, but others 

 occurred among damp grass. 



I have not found this Bipalium exhibit here the extreme sensi- 

 tiveness to Hght mentioned by Prof. Bell (l. c. p. 1 68). It is certainly 

 more active at night, but several of my specimens have lived with 

 apj>arent unconcern in glass jars (provided with water, earth, and 



