174 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



for they undoubtedly belong to a new species. The only 

 Australian species of Peripatiis hitherto described is P. leuckartii, 

 Ssenger, which ranges through Queensland, New South Wales, and 

 Victoria, and for details as to which I must refer the reader to my 

 paper in the " Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria." * 

 The only other Australasian species hitherto known is P. novce- 

 zealandice, Hutton, from New Zealand. Mr. Hogg's specimens 

 differ in important particulars from both these species. The 

 most important difference is in the number of pairs of legs, P. 

 leuckartii axi^ P. novtz-zealandice having each constantly 15 pairs, 

 while the new species has only 14. The new species differs from F. 

 leuckartii — to which it might be expected to be most nearly 

 related — also in the structure of the jaws and in the pattern of the 

 skin. The distinctness of the new species may be expressed by 

 the statement that it differs more from either of the two previously 

 known Australasian species than these do from one another. 



On the present occasion I shall describe only the external 

 characters, but I hope in due course to be able to give a complete 

 anatomical account of both the Australian species, and for this 

 purpose I would earnestly request the members of the club to 

 search for specimens under logs and stones whenever opportunity 

 offers ; all specimens will be most gratefully received and acknow- 

 ledged. 

 Peripatus iNsiGNis,! specics nova. 



Colour and Markings. — {a) Dorsal Surface. — The general 

 appearance to the naked eye is dark, sometimes almost black, 

 speckled with pale orange or yellow. Microscopical examination 

 by reflected light shows that the skin is, as usual in the genus, 

 divided into a very great number of narrow transverse ridges by 

 very fine grooves of a pale yellow colour. Down the mid-dorsal 

 line runs a narrow dark stripe with a very fine white, or almost 

 white line running down the middle of it as in P. leuckartii. 



The general ground colour is dark indigo blue, often almost 

 black, and this is chequered by more or less regularly arranged 

 patches of pale dull orange or yellow. The typical arrangement 

 of these patches appears to be as follows : — There is a squarish 

 patch just over the base of each leg, more distinct than any of 

 the others. Between the legs of each pair, in the mid-dorsal line, 

 is a similar patch, interrupted by the median longitudinal stripe 

 already mentioned, and separated from the patch over the leg on 

 either side by a space of about the same width as itself. Thus 

 there is a transverse row of three patches between the legs of 

 each pair, and with these rows alternate other rows of only two 

 patches each, in such a manner that a kind of chessboard pattern 



* " Observations on the Australian Species of Peripatus, part I," Proceedings 

 Royal Society, Victoria, July, 1SS9. 

 '\ Insignis, distinguished by a mark. 



