BY J. J. FLETCHER. 
193 
exceptionally a little later, will very probably prove to be not very 
wide of the mark. 
If the unusually early August young one referred to above was 
developed from an ovum which passed into the oviduct about 
the middle of February ; the October young from April ova ; 
and the young born towards the end of April or early in May 
from ova which left the ovaries in October or November preceding 
—as may very well have been the case — -then the period of 
gestation is about six months; not less, probably a little more; 
but from 6-7 months will, I believe, prove to be a very close 
approximation to the truth. 
The largest number of New Zealand Peripatus embryos met 
with by Captain Hutton was 26 (18 + 8); by Mr. Sedgwick or 
Miss Sheldon 18 (12 + 6). The largest number I have found in 
our Peripatus is 53, in a female opened on November 21st. They 
form a finely gradational series of old embryos — the youngest 
with claw-bearing legs, the proximal half dozen or so with pig- 
mented tentacles. Females with from 30-40 embryos or ova are 
not uncommon in certain months.* Whether the contents of the 
uteri show any very marked differences in the stages of develop- 
ment reached depends a good deal on circumstances. About the 
time when the breeding season usually ends one may find females 
containing a few old embryos not differing very noticeably, or 
nothing, or a few old embryos together with a few ova which have 
recently passed into the uteri, or only some of the latter. Still 
later in the season one may find an increased number of young 
embryos together with fresh ova. But my experience is that if 
the contained series is a large one, as a rule it presents no very 
abrupt breaks, but one gets a finely graduated series of old or of 
* On the other hand, when the supply of material has been short, and 
small and therefore young specimens — possibly even commencing to breed 
for the first time— have had to be utilised, the numbers have been very 
small compared with what might be expected to occur in large examples 
opened at the same time of year. In two such cases the numbers were only 
two and one respectively. 
N 
