ON A NEW SPECIES OF PLANARIAN WORM. 3B 
Ruyncuopemus Howest: a new European Species of Terrestrial 
Planarian Worm. By R. F. Scuarrr, Ph.D., B.Se., Keeper 
Nat. Hist. Coll., National Museum, Dublin.* 
[Read 15th February, 1900.] 
(PLATE 6.) 
I rounp this worm during the autumn of 1899 in the Pyrenees, 
close to the village of Haux Chaudes. This village, famed for its 
medicinal waters, lies at a height of about 2000 feet above sea- 
level, in a most picturesque valley surrounded by dense forests. 
The worm was discovered under a stone coiled round the shell 
of a Helix nemoralis. The snail had apparently been overcome 
by the worm previous to being devoured, as it had retired far up 
into its shell and exhibited little sign of life. When I released 
the snail, the worm slowly crawled away, leaving an abundant 
track of mucus like that of a slug. I had hoped to be able to 
find out something more about it after a closer examination, but 
owing to the very dark pigment in the skin, no eyes were visible, 
nor were any openings to be seen on the underside. However, 
I had no doubt of the true nature of the worm, the general 
shape of the body indicating a terrestrial planarian. I believed 
that I had before me a gigantic member of the genus Rhyncho- 
demus, and this surmise has now proved to be correct. 
The width of the worm was 5 millim., and the length no less 
than 130 millim. (about 5 inches)—just twice as long as the 
largest Fehynchodemus hitherto known to science. The colour of 
the upper side was of a uniform greyish black (Pl. 6. fig. 1). 
The under side (PI. 6. fig. 2) is made up of the median sole, aptly 
called “ Kriechleiste ’’ by Prof. von Graff, since it is a somewhat 
raised plate on which the animal creeps. It occupies one third 
of the ventral side of the body (Pl. 6. fig. 2, s) and is coloured 
light grey; while on each side we find a dark grey stripe bordered 
by a brownish-grey marginal one. The latter, which will be 
referred to again later on, is von Graff's ‘“ Driisenkante” or 
glandular ridge. The dorsal and ventral surfaces are sharply 
distinct in contour, the former being convexly rounded, the latter 
almost flat. The anterior end of the body is not directly con- 
cerned with the creeping movements, and the sole does not extend 
* Communicated by Prof. G. B. Howes, Sec. L.S. 
LINN. JOURN.—ZOOLOGY, VOL. XXVIII. 3 
