R. HORST. PARAPERIPATUS LORENTZI. 151 



of P. novae-britanniae given by WlLLEY. When opening the female from the ventral side (fig. 6) 

 the first structure to strike the eye is the left utérus (/. u.) that is strongly dilated and green- 

 colored, due to the pigmented embryo, ready for birth, that shines through its wall. The 

 rectum (r.) passes over it backward in an oblique direction and descends between the two 

 halves of the utérus to reach over the vagina the anal aperture. Forwards the rectum bends 

 under the left utérus, further on with a transverse loop under the right one to pass into the 

 intestinal canal. In front of its large distal swelling, the left utérus shows two other dilatations 

 and then bends downwards about in the région of the 9* leg to pass into a much narrower 

 branch, that bends under the dilated portion until it reaches the ovary. The right utérus 

 does not contain any embryo in its distal portion, which is much narrower than that of the 

 left one, forwards it is somewhat dilated and there it contains an embryo ; it bends backwards 

 about in the région of the n th leg and passes into a much narrower branch that opens into 

 the ovary (0.). The ovary is situated in the région of the 151I1 leg; it lies concealed behind 

 the dilatations of the utérus and because the latter must be turned aside, before it came 

 in view, it could not be stated whether it was fixed to the floor of the pericardium. Some 

 of the ramifications of the slime-glands are adhering to it. The ovary measures hardly 2 mm. 

 in length ; it consists of two halves, that hâve an elongated racemous appearance and unité at 

 about the half of their length, into a common organ. Whether this common chamber is 

 separated by a septum, like in P. novae-britanniae, I cannot say, because I did not make 

 sections. Over the whole surface of the ovary the ripe eggs are projecting; their largest 

 diameter is 0.12 mm. The oviduct, after leaving the ovary, immediately diverges into two 

 straight branches to the right and to the left, without making such a horn-shaped curve as in 

 P. novae-britanniae ; of a communication between the proximal (infundibular) and the distal 

 (utérine) portion of the oviduct, as stated by WlLLEY in the last-named species, nothing could 

 be detected. However the two ducts between oviduct and receptaculum seminis are obvious; 

 also the différence in diameter as well as in structure of oviduct and utérus are clearly visible. 

 The receptacula seminis are rather large, 0.6 mm. in diameter, whereas the oviduct (infundi- 

 bular-portion) measures only 2 mm., therefore about three times longer. The majority of 

 the embryos were too old, to state the présence of a trophic vesicle. 



No doubt our species, as well as Perip. papnensis, must be ranged among the genus 

 Paraperipatus Willey \_Melano-peripatus Sedgwick ')] as proved : 1. by the situation of the 

 génital aperture behind the last pair of legs, 2. by the position of the rénal papillae of the 

 4 l11 and 5 A leg in the middle of the proximal of the three pads and 3. by the présence of 

 three primary papillae on the feet. Like Mr. SEDGWICK I think that Perip. ceramensis 

 Muir & Kersh. too belongs to this genus, though unfortunately we do not know the maie of 

 this species. According to MuiR and KERSHAW „the bilobate ovarian chamber with the single 

 duct leading from it" should place it quite apart; however, I cannot understand the meaning 

 of this sentence, for though the ovaries of Perip. novae-britanniae are tubular, their cavities 

 also unité into a common chamber, before communicating with the oviducts. 



Whether Parap. Lorentzi may be identical with Melanop. papnensis cannot be 



1) The use of the name Melano-peripatus^ instead of Paraperipatus^ as proposed by Sedgwick (Quart. Journ. Micr. 

 Se. Vol. 5 2 t 1908, p. 379) because the first species of this group was detected in Melanesia, appears to me less désirable 

 since the species from Ceram proves also to belong to it. 



