1975] 
Peck — New World Onychophora 
353 
Figure 8. Speleoperipatus spelaeus in life. 
inadequate so it is not known with certainty that the seemingly 
troglobitic species live only in caves. In my field work on Jamaican 
cave faunas, I have made some 70 visits to some 50 caves in search 
of their invertebrates, and Russell M. Norton has made some 20 
visits to some 20 caves (many of the same caves in which I have 
collected). Since many of the other troglobitic species have been 
encountered in many of these caves over much of Jamaica and 
Speleoperipatus has not, it is possible that this genus may now be 
limited to a single cave system. And since it may exist only in small 
numbers, future collecting of it should be restrained, in order to 
preserve this unique genus from extinction. 
Discussion. The genus and species is close to both Epiperipatus 
and Peripatus (s.str.) in its skin papillae; and to these and Macro- 
peripatus in the number of feet papillae (2 anterior and 1 posterior 
in all these genera), and four foot creeping pads (as in all these 
genera). However, the new genus differs from these genera in hav- 
ing some four fewer (at least) pairs of legs, and in the mandibles. 
In some respects, the new genus and species resembles Typhloperi- 
patus williamsoni Kemp (1914) from the Himalaya foothills of 
eastern India (near Rotung, on the Dihang River, Assam, near 
Tibet). Both are eyeless, and the latter has only 19 to 20 pairs of 
