CLOACA AND SPERMAT 1 1 M A OF GYRINOPHILUS. 263 



the dorsal glands of Nee turns resembles that of the cloaca, 

 rather than that of other cloacal glands. Eurycea and Gyrino- 

 philus, which stand mid-way in the series, have functional 

 ventral glands, and rudimentary dorsal glands. The Plethodons 

 and Desmognaihus, at the top of the series, have neither dorsal 

 nor ventral glands. Kingsbury suggests that spermathecal 

 tubules are modified dorsal glands. Apparently, as the sperma- 

 theca departs farther from the simple tubules from which it 

 was derived, the gland tubules are suppressed; the dorsal group 

 first, and later the ventral. 



The possible significance of pigment cells as attracting or 

 being attracted by spermatazoa is discussed by Kingsbury. 

 There appears to be some correlation between the pigmentation 

 of the spermatheca in the female and the testes and ducts in 

 the male, 1 for Eurycea, Gyrinophilus, the Plethodons and Des- 

 mognathus, all show abundant pigmentation in both sexes; 

 Amblystoma none in either sex; Diemyctylus moderate in the 

 female, and little in the male. In Necturus the spermatheca is 

 free from pigment, and testes and ducts only very slightly 

 pigmented. 



Pigment is absent from the cloaca of Gyrinophilus in the 

 earliest stages of development of the spermatheca, but appears 

 in increasing amount with advancing development. In this 

 series it is found in fair abundance in a small female with well 

 developed spermatheca. The size of this animal (12 cm.), the 

 absence of debris in the organ, and the minuteness of the ova 

 speak against the animal ever having mated. We may conclude, 

 therefore, that the deposition of pigment is not in response to 

 the presence of sperms, but is a normal developmental phe- 

 nomenon, and may serve to attract sperms, as suggested by 

 Kingsbury. 



Three questions naturally suggest themselves in a study of 

 the spermatheca: first, the probable time of mating, second, 

 the time of ovulation, and third, the length of time sperms may 

 remain in the organ. The following generalizations, drawn from 

 facts tabulated in Table I., have some bearing on these problems 

 in Gyrinophilus: 



1 Information regarding pigmentation in the males of these species is supplied 

 by Dr. R. R. Humphicy. 



