HAEBWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



53 



The females are viviparous, and the young may 

 be seen in a mature female inside the body. In 



r j 



Fig. 24.— Young anguillula 

 escaping. 



v.cl/. 

 a, 



Fig. 23. 



outward form the sexes are very similar, the only 

 difference being that the tail of the male bears three 

 small processes (Fig. 23, /;-). 



broad testis, bent upon itself at its upper portion ; 

 it opens by a very short vas deferens by the anus 

 (Fig. 23). Two conspicuous spicula, shaped like the 

 letter S and contained in sacs, are situated at each 

 side of the vas deferens and open into it ; they act 

 as claspers during the sexual process. 



In the female the generative opening is situated a 

 little behind the middle of the body. This opening 

 leads into an oval chamber and into the broad 

 pouch. The large uterus, or broad pouch, seems 

 more a cavity hollowed out in the body than a 

 chamber with definite walls ; it passes forwards and 

 ends in a long protoplasmic cord or ovary (?) which 

 bends and passes over the intestine. The uterus is 

 perhaps continued posteriorly, for I have found young 

 sometimes in that region of the body, when the 

 female contained many embryos. Young vinegar 

 eels may be observed in the broad pouch in various 

 stages of development. The youngest embryos are 

 situated at the extreme end of the uterus ; the older 

 ones nearer the generative opening. Some of the 

 youngest may be seen, invested in a delicate shell, 

 undergoing segmentation. The older ones exhibit a 

 slow rotatory movement, which I believe is due to 

 their rapid growth in length. The oldest of all have 

 evidently escaped from the shell and move about 

 uneasily. When the vinegar eel has finished its 

 early stages of development inside the mother it 

 escapes by the generative opening, wriggling its way 

 through the somewhat narrow passage (Fig. 24, u). 

 Soon after its escape it becomes very lively. 



Fig. 25. — Reproductive organs of female. 

 \t) portion containing small nuclei ; (1- 

 The intestine is not represented. 



(p) generative organ ; (c) chamber ; (s) portion of ovary containing large nuclei ; 

 young eels in various stages of development; (A) interior end; (P) posterior end. 



The alimentary canal is a straight tube, traversing 

 the whole length of the body cavity. The small 

 mouth which opens anteriorly is surrounded by a 

 horny capsule (Fig. 21, m). The pharynx (ph) has 

 muscular walls with transverse strice, it leads into a 

 narrow oesophagus (a?). The gizzard is round and 

 very thick walled ; the muscular strise radiate from 

 the small central cavity. The rest of the digestive 

 tube consists of a long hind-gut or intestine (/) 

 occupying the greater portion of the body. The 

 anterior portion of this organ is broad and much 

 serrulated ; near the reproductive system it becomes 

 narrower and passes to one side. A short rectum 

 (if it can be so called) leads to the anus, which 

 opens near the root of the tail. 



The reproductive organ of the male is a long, 



The long ovary contains numerous nuclei im- 

 bedded in a protoplasmic matrix. These nuclei are 

 more crowded within a short distance of its extremity, 

 where they disappear. 



I was not able to observe the excretary system. I 

 believe it consists of long unbranched canals parallel 

 to the long axis of the body, and opening near the 

 middle. I do not know whether it is possible to see 

 the nervous system without previous preparation. 



I have drawn (Fig. 22) a small round body (not 

 easily discernible) lying above the gizzard ; but I 

 cannot say whether this is the nervous system or a 

 gland. Owing to the presence of fat globules 

 scattered all over the body, it is difficult to observe 

 many details of structure. 



Bernard Thomas. 



