178 THE GENUS PERIPATUS. 



it then went up and sucked its juices, rejecting the whole of 

 the integument. This viscid fluid is for offensive and not 

 defensive purposes. In the winter they become half torpid, 

 though procreation still goes on. During this time of the year 

 I have never seen them feed, and they cannot emit their viscid 

 fluid, or only in very small quantity. They move with de- 

 liberation, entirely by means of their legs, the body being 

 much lengthened. "When walking, the antennse are constantly 

 moved about as feelers. If a needle is placed upright imme- 

 diately in front of one, the antenna is drawn past it without 

 actual contact ; but the points of the hair probably touch the 

 needle. Although viviparous, the eggs are often extruded 

 before the development is complete, but these always die." 



From the study of the living specimens brought by Mr. 

 Evans I have been able to confirm Captain Hutton's observa- 

 tion as to the habits of the species, so far as it was possible to 

 do so on imported specimens. 



I have not been so fortunate as to see them catching flies 

 with their slime, but this is not to be wondered at considering 

 the greatly changed conditions in which I observed them. In 

 fact I have failed to keep the specimens alive for any length 

 of time in this country. 



Having received two lots, one in July and the other in 

 December, I am able to make some conjectures as to the period 

 of gestation. Captain Hutton asserts that they breed all the 

 year round. The only other statement concerning the breeding 

 is, so far as I know, by Moseley (No. 20). He states that the 

 young are born in July. This is undoubtedly correct, for the 

 live specimens received by me at the end of July gave birth to 

 fully- developed young on the voyage, and directly after reach- 

 ing England, and those examined contained, in the great 

 majority of cases, either old embryos or none at all. 



On the other hand, the specimens which came in December 

 contained, in the great majority of cases, unsegmented and 

 segmenting ova. But in a few (small specimens) the uterus 

 was empty, and again, in a still smaller number, there were 

 old embryos, and in some a few old embryos coexisted with the 



