ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
535 
Platyhelminth.es. 
New Zealand Land Planarians.* — Prof. A. Dendy appears to have 
been already very successful in his investigation of the Land Planarians 
of New Zealand, for whereas only three Land Planarians have as yet been 
recorded from New Zealand he has, by the assistance of many friends, 
been able to bring the total number of species found in New Zealand 
up to twenty. Of these twelve appear to be new to science, eighteen 
belong to the genus Geoplana , one to Bhjnchodemus, and one to Bipalium. 
As to the last it need hardly be said that it is our old friend B. Jceivense. 
Seventeen of the whole number may be safely considered to be indigenous. 
One, G. sanguined, is identical with a very common Australian species, 
and another differs very slightly from a common Australian form. As 
to the rest they appear to be peculiar to New Zealand, though some of 
them very nearly resemble Australian species, and it must be a matter 
of opinion whether the slight differences that exist are sufficient to justify 
specific separation. 
New Zealand Land Nemertine.t — Prof. A. Dendy adds one to the 
already known five species of Land Nemertines. It will be remembered 
that four years ago he discovered one ( Geonemertes australiensis ) ? in 
Victoria. The new species G. novse zealandise has a considerable 
resemblance to the Australian form in general anatomical features, but 
by its possession of four eyes only, and by the characteristic arrange- 
ment of alternate light and dark bands on the dorsal surface it was 
clearly seen to be specifically distinct. 
Musculature and Sensory Cells of Trematodes.J — Herren F. Bloch- 
mann and H. Bettendorf have investigated the muscular and sensory 
organs of these worms, with the aid of the more recent methods of 
staining. They commence with a short account of the simpler condition 
of things which may be found in the Turbellaria. For example, in 
Gunda ulvse , every muscular fibre is connected with its myoblast by a 
long fine protoplasmic process. The myoblasts also give rise to mie or 
two fibres which pass down and come into connection with nerve-trunks ; 
at least what is seen in tapeworms and flukes may lead us to conclude 
that it is so, but the fact is that this connection has not yet been observed 
in any Turbellarian. In the Trematoda the condition of things is some- 
what more complicated, as the myoblasts ordinarily give rise, not to one, 
but to several muscular fibres ; their connection with nerve-trunks has 
been distinctly observed. The bodies which the authors here describe 
as myoblasts are the large cells which have long been known to be 
scattered in the substance of the body of Trematodes, and which have 
been explained in various ways. The large cells which are found in 
the sucker are also myoblasts. It is further to be noted that although 
the authors have prepared numerous sections from very various forms, 
they have never yet observed one myoblast trespass on the area of 
another. Sensory cells of the kind already found in various Cestodes 
have been discovered in the fluke by the use of Golgi’s method. They 
are found over the whole extent of the body, but, as may be supposed, 
* Trans. N.Z. Inst., xxvii. (1894) pp. 177-89. f Tom. cit., pp. 191-4. 
X Biol. Centralbl., xv. (1895) pp. 216-9 (5 figs.). 
2 N 2 
