28 THE AMPHIOXUS. 



through bursting the follicle membrane, into the 

 neighbouring atrial cavity, and from there, through 

 the gill-slit, into the inner part of the pharynx, to 

 be pushed thence through the mouth, and so outside. 

 I can fully confirm Kowalevsky's statement, that the 

 sexual products of the Amphioxus are emitted through 

 the mouth a statement which has, without justice, 

 been called in question. 



It was thus possible on such a warm afternoon, by 

 disturbing the animals, to make them emit the 

 sexual products stored up in the atrial cavity. Apart 

 from this interference, however, they kept the sexual 

 products till evening. 



It was of no use to fish with the surface-net by 

 day, since then it was not possible to find any of 

 the emitted sexual products. At sunset, however, the 

 spawning began almost simultaneously along the 

 whole stretch of shore where the Amphioxus lives in 

 the sand, so that the eggs could be fished in great 

 quantities with Miiller's net. When darkness begins, 

 the spawning advances with great speed, so that all 

 the embryos in Pantano are always found of the same 

 stage of development in the next twenty-four hours, 

 and also on the following day. 



