ONYCHOPHORA OF WEST AUSTRALIA. 



385 



specific rank by Dendy (5), and is now recorded as Pei'ipatoides 

 occideutalis. Tlie rediscovery of the typical form and the demon- 

 stration that its anatomy is ahnost identical with that of the othei- 

 form which Bouvier recognised as quite distinct from all otlier 

 Australian Feripatoides endorses Dendy's action. The northern 

 variety Avas termed P. woodwardi by Bouvier, but we have 

 shown (4) that this name lacks priority, the name P. gilesti 

 having been previously given by Baldwin Spencer, The position 

 is, therefoi-e, that the only West Australian species of Pertpatoides 

 is Peripatoides occidentalis, the southern form being the original 

 one named, the northern is thus to be known in future as 

 P. occidentcdis var. gilesii. 



Previous diagnoses of P. occidentalis are to a large extent 

 incorrect. 



The Diagnosis of the Si^ecies is as folloivs : — 



(1) Specimens fall into two colour series, in one of which dark 

 green-black predominates, in the other a brown-red. (2) The 

 legs number 16 pairs in the var. gilesii, 15 in the typical form. 

 (3) The third pedal ring (or spinous pad) is usually slightly 

 nari'ower than the first, and the intermediate ring a little larger 

 than in the other PerijKitoides ; the rudiments of the 4th ring 

 are practically invisible. (4) There are no accessory teeth on the 

 outer blade of the mandible, and 5 or 3 on the inner blade. 

 (5) The urinary papilla? of the 4th and 5th legs are each on a 

 separate segment of the first pedal ring. (6) The crural papill?e 

 are present on all the legs of the male, but may not be obvious 

 owning to retraction. (7) Crural glands are present opening on 

 all the legs ; those of the 1st pair are very long and extend 

 almost the entire length of the body in the lateral compartments. 

 Those of the last pair of legs are also long and run forwards 

 entangled with the reproductive ducts in the central body-cavity. 

 All the other crural glands are contained in the legs. Those of 

 the pair of legs preceding the last are very small. (8) The male 

 reproductive organs may extend forwards as far as the 6th or 

 7th pair of legs from the posterior extremity. The tw^o vasa 

 deferentia after leaving the vesiculre seminales in which sperma- 

 togenesis takes place run a tangled course. That of the right 

 side runs almost to the extreme posterior end and to the left side 

 of the body, it then curves under both nerve-cords and runs for- 

 ward on the right side to meet its fellow and form an unpaired 

 duct at about the level of the 4th or 5th pair of legs from the 

 posterior end. Tlie proximal portion of this duct is very wide 

 and very thin-walled and forms a reservoir where spermatozoa 

 accumulate in tangled "cordons." It passes gradually into a 

 short muscular ejaculatory duct. (9) The ovaries are dorsal in 

 position and extend forwards from near the posterior end, 

 occupying the hinder third of the body at the breeding-season. 

 The w^alls of the ovaries are thin, and the eggs when ripe appear 



