THE DISTRIBUTION OF ONYCHOPHORA IN NEW 
GUINEA AND NEIGHBORING ISLANDS* 
By Charles T. Brues 
Biological Laboratories, Harvard University 
Just half a century lias elapsed since the presence of 
Onychophora in the Papuan area was first recognized. 
In 1898 Willey described Peripatus novce-britanniee from 
New Britain and since then eight others have been added 
from New Guinea and other adjacent islands. All of 
these belong to the genus Paraperipatus, but as in the 
dominant neotropical genera Peripatus and M aero per i- 
patus, the species are closely similar. However, as they 
show recognizable and apparently constant structural 
differences they must be accorded specific or at least sub- 
specific rank. In 1931 Leloup proposed a new name for 
the whole group of Papuan species, which he designated 
as Paraperipatus leopoldi as a patriotic gesture to the 
Belgian king. This nomenclatorial faux pas was first 
noticed publicly by Brongermsa (’32) who placed P. leo- 
poldi as a synonym of P. papuensis Sedgwick. The lat- 
ter is the first species described from New Guinea and 
furthermore the types came from the Arfak mountain 
range not far from the locality where Leloup ’s types 
were obtained. However, if several species are recog- 
nized this synonomy must remain doubtful. 
During his stay as a military officer in New Guinea, 
Dr. P. J. Darlington of the Museum of Comparative 
Zoology collected three specimens of Paraperipatus in 
the Bismarck range of the central mountain system near 
latitude 145° E. They were taken at two elevations on 
Mount Wilhelm which rises to a height of 15,400 feet, 
first at an altitude of 8000 ft. in the forest below timber- 
line and again, in moss, at 10,000 ft. which is above tim- 
ber-line. This is not very far from the type locality of 
P. lorentzi. There are two males, each with 21 pairs of 
legs and a single female with 22 pairs of legs. In this 
* Published with a grant from the Museum of Comparative Zoology. 
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