CHAPTER IV. 

 Peripatus from the Neotropical Region. 



Peripatus is found all over the northern part of the Neo- 

 tropical region. It is reported from Chilij Columbia, Cayenne, 

 Venezuela, Nicaragua, and from many of the West Indian 

 Islands, viz. Jamaica, Cuba, Trinidad, St. Thomas. I unfor- 

 tunately have only been able to make a complete study of the 

 species from Venezuela and of that from Demerara ; of some 

 of the remainder I have only seen single specimens, or specimens 

 the preservation of which was not sufficiently good to allow of 

 the determination of specific characters. A partial exception 

 must be made in favour of the small species from Trinidad, of 

 which Dr. J. v. Kennel has been good enough to send me two 

 specimens ; but these were, unfortunately, somewhat contracted 

 and not sufficient in number to enable me to generalise as to 

 specific characters. I trust, however, that the careful description 

 of the Venezuela species, the specimens of which were collected 

 by Professor Ernst at Caracas, and given to Professor Balfour, 

 willform a groundwork on which future collectors of Peripatus 

 from this region will be able to work. 



Although I have failed in determining the relations between 

 the various specimens of Peripatus which have been found in 

 the Neotropical region, still I have seen enough to be able to 

 establish a certain number of characters which distinguish a 

 great number — and probably all — of the neotropical Peripatus 

 from those found in other regions. Those characters are stated 

 in the following definition : 



