1891.] Kewense, Museley, in a new Locality. 143 



Outside England this species has been found in the Orchid- 

 Houses of the Botanical Garden in Berlin, and in the Palm- 

 Gardens of Frankfort. As early as 1883 it had been noticed in 

 the Botanic Garden of Cape Town, and it has been known in 

 Sydney since 1874, although its presence was not registered till 

 1888. It has recently been found by Mr J. J. Lister under stones 

 in the forests of Upolu, Samoa, and it is not impossible that this 

 is one of its native habitats 1 . 



Unfortunately the records of the appearance of B. Kewense 

 fail to throw much light on its native habitat. It has almost in- 

 variably turned up in hot-houses, usually associated with Orchids ; 

 and there is nothing to show that these Orchids in all cases came 

 from the same part of the globe. Sydney is the only place where 

 it seems to have established itself, and here it is described as 

 existing in great numbers, lying under pieces of wood, etc., or 

 crawling along the pavements and palings. In England, as is 

 pointed out above, it has only occurred sporadically and a few at 

 a time, probably introduced afresh, or disseminated from Kew. 

 It does not seem in any danger of establishing itself. Rhyncho- 

 demus terrestris, 0. F. Mull, still remains the only British Land 

 Planarian. 



The specimens from Bath vary a good deal in length. One, 

 whilst crawling up a wall, attained the length of seven inches. 

 The body is extremely extensile and soft, and the animals seem 

 capable of creeping through the smallest crannies. Those that 

 Professor Moseley described were some of them nine inches long, 

 a length surpassing that of any other species of Bipalium, but 

 New South Wales specimens were even longer ; one of them 

 measured 14 in. and another 9 in. (6). The worms crawl about 

 actively, by means of the strong cilia on their ventral surface, and 

 in their natural conditions appear to coil round stems and blades of 

 grass, etc. 



The semilunar anterior end, which is characteristic of the 

 genus, does not always maintain its outline, but the contour of the 

 head is constantly changing (1). The head is generally raised 

 above the surface of the ground, and processes appear to be 

 pushed out from its edge, whicli test the surface upon which the 

 animal crawls. 



There seems to be no doubt that B. Keiuense, like other allied 

 species, is nocturnal in its habits, strong sunlight being harmful 

 and often fatal to it. Its surroundings must also be kept very 

 damp. One of the most curious features of its economy is the 

 harmful effect which certain foreign substances have upon its well- 

 being. Dr Trimen (27) records how one specimen was killed in 



1 Vide Zoolog. Anzeiger, No. 361, p. 139. 



