CHAPTER II. 



The South African Species of Pekipatus. 



The following is a list of the distinct species of Peripatus 

 which have so far been found in South Africa: Capensis 

 (Table Mountain), Balfouri (Table Mountain), brevis 

 (Table Mountain), Moseleyi (near Williamstown). In ad- 

 dition to these there are a certain number of other possible 

 species, concerning the distinctness of which, however, I cannot 

 be certain. 



General Characters of the South African Peripatus. 



Peripatus with three spinous pads on the legs, with two 

 primary papillae on the anterior side of the foot (fig. 2), and a 

 small tooth at the base of the main tooth on the outer blade of 

 the jaw (fig. 28). The last fully developed leg of the males is 

 provided with a white papilla on its ventral surface (fig. 4), 

 and an enlarged crural gland. The generative opening is 

 always subterminal and behind the last pair of fully developed 

 legs. The ovaries are attached to the floor of the pericardium by 

 a ligament which passes off from their front end. The terminal 

 unpaired portion of the vas deferens of the male is short. The 

 ova are large, but with little food-yolk. The portion of the 

 proximal pad of the fourth and fifth legs, which carries the 

 opening of the nephridium, is separated by faintly marked 

 grooves from the rest of the pad (fig. 9). The legs appear, 

 with rare doubtful exceptions, to be constant in number in 

 all specimens of the same species. The median line of the 

 dorsal surface is destitute of pigment. The blastopore of the 

 gastrula stage gives rise to the mouth and anus of the adult. 



Peripatus capensis being the best known and the most easily 

 procured will be taken as the type of this group of species. 



