Kew: Slilne-Thredds of Planarian-Worms. 



Other notes relate to Bipalium kewense : a 

 species of unknown habitat which has made 

 its appearance in hothouses and elsewhere in 

 gardens, etc., in various parts of the world. 

 It is a large species, ordinarily about 9 inches 

 long ; and Dr. Richters, who writes of a speci- 

 men from the Frankfurt Palm-garden, doubts 

 whether it can suspend itself, because of its 

 weight ;* Mr. Trimen, who observed specimens 

 at the Cape, has expressed himself doubtful on FIG 

 the same point ;t and the present writer, who, 2. 

 through the kindness of Mr. Gude, received two 

 specimens (one of full size, and one small) from 

 a nursery at Upper Holloway, has attempted to 

 induce the animals to spin, with but moderate 

 results. When placed on small objects and ex- 

 posed to the light, the creatures readily crept off 

 after the fashion of slugs, but their suspension 

 was of very short duration, the slime-thread fail- Bipalium kewense 

 ing when 4-2^ inches in length (Fig. 2); the full- ( / onng) desce » di ^ 



0 0 \ o ... ,n from a twig; drawn 



grown specimen, while thus dropping, became from life by the writer. 



stated that Bipalium uses a thread of its toug-h investing" slime for suspension 

 in air, the author having- frequently seen it let itself down in this manner 

 from a twig held at a short distance from the ground. Statements by 

 Shipley (2) that the mucus of some tropical species ' hardens into threads by 

 means of which the animals suspend themselves ' and that the creatures ' are 

 occasionally blown, hanging at the end of their threads, from one stem or 

 branch to another, like the young of many species of spiders ' appear to have 

 grown out of the above noted observations, of Mosel'ey. Mr. Shipley has 

 obligingly given to me, as his authority, the following passage from 

 Loman's memoir on Bipalium (3) : ' Wie die Schnecken lassen sie eine 

 schleimige Spur hinter sich, die, wie uns Humbert mitgeteilt hat, zu einem 

 barten Faden erstarrt, der das Gewicht des Korpers tragt und an dem sie 

 sich von einem Zweige zum anderen herablassen konnen.' Humbert, how- 

 ever, (4) does not mention threads ; and Dr. Loman, who tells me that he 

 did not make observations of his own on this point, has now no doubt thai 

 he wrote 'Humbert' in mistake for ' Moseley.' (1) Moselev, Philosophical 

 Transactions of the Royal Society, CLXIV. (1874), pp. 112, 146; (2) Shipley, 

 Proceedings of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, VII. (1891), pp. 142-7 ; 

 (3) Loman, Bijdragen tot de Dierkunde, uitgegeven door hot Genootschap 

 Natura Artis Magistra, Amsterdam, XIV. (1887), p. 66; (4) Humbert. 

 Me'moires de la Societe de Physique et d'Histoire naturelle de Geneve, XVI. 

 (1862), pp. 293-31 r. 



* Richters, Der Zoologische Garten, XXVIII. (1887*, pp. 231-4. 



t Trimen, Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1887, 

 pp. 548-50. 



1900 October i. 



