694 PROF. ARTHUR DENDY ON 



were met with, so that altogether we obtained three species in 

 Western Aiisti-alia and six in Tasmania. 



From Western Australia only four species have hithei'to been 

 described, all by Mr. Steel [1901], and all three obtained by us 

 appear to be new. 



From Tasmania, Steel [1901 &<s] gives a list of twelve species, 

 six of which were originally described by myself. Of these twelve, 

 the British Association party obtained three, together with one 

 previously known only from Australia and two new ones. 



By far the commonest species in Tasmania seems to be 

 Geoplana tasmaiiiana, originally collected on the historic voyage 

 of the ' Beagle ' and described by Charles Darwin. 



It is curious that so few Austiulian zoologists have con- 

 cerned themselves with the study of the Land-Planarians. 

 This is the more to be i-egretted inasmuch as the opportunities 

 for collecting these animals are I'apidly passing away with the 

 clearing of the bush. Moreover, much remains to be done in 

 the investigation of these and other Cryptozoic animals. The 

 Land-Planarians, in particular, still demand thorough compara- 

 tive anatomical investigation with a view to revising the generic 

 classification. Thus von Graff' [1899] has proposed the genus 

 Artioposthia, based on material supplied by myself, to include 

 certain forms with a remarkably complex copulatory apparatus, 

 but until many more species have been anatomically investigated 

 it is diflicult to estimate the value of this suggestion and impos- 

 sible to say in many cases to which genus a given species should 

 be i-ef erred. For this reason I retain the genei'ic name Geoplana 

 in its older and wider sense. 



I desire to express my great indebtedness, not only to our 

 generous Australian and Tasmanian hosts, but also to those 

 members of the British Association who were good enough to 

 hand over to me the Land-Planarians which they collected. 



A. Species collected in Western Australia. 



Geoplana dakini sp. n. 



When crawling, very long and narrow, as much as three 

 or four inches in length ; strongly convex dorsally, flattened 

 venti'ally ; without longitudinal ridges. A well-gi'own specimen 

 in spirit measures about 74 mm. in length by 3 mm. in width in 

 the middle, and is approximately oval in transverse section. 

 The eyes are arranged as visual. The peripharyngeal aperture 

 is situated about the middle of the body ; the pharynx when 

 protruded in spirit is subcylindrical. I have been unable to 

 make out the genital aperture. 



In life the dorsal surface is pale yellow, mottled and striped 

 with olive-brown ; the venti'al surface is white, without pattern, 

 and the anterior tip is pink. 



The colour-markings on the dorsal surface are typically 



