and Fertilization in the Nematoidea. 195 



In recent times we have been constantly becoming more and 

 more familiar with the idea, that the simplest elements of or- 

 ganic nature are not nnfrequently endowed with a peculiar con- 

 tractihty, which resembles the mode of movement of the Amoeba. 

 Thus we have very recently been made acquainted by Leuckart* 

 and Kollikerf with such pha^nomena in the cells of the liver of 

 the Rabbit, in the cells of the mantle of the Ascidia, and in the 

 cells of the ligamentous tissue in the Torpedo. The phsenomena 

 of motion discovered by Schneider in the seminal corpuscles of 

 the Nematoidea would therefore be only a new member in this 

 series of observations. 



It was not Schneider, but BischofF, that first attempted a 

 comparison between Amoeba and the seminal corpuscles of the 

 Nematoidea. But in this comparison BischofF had in his mind 

 mere phsenomena of diffusion, which he had detected in the 

 seminal corpuscles of Ascaris mystaxy and his observations have 

 nothing to do with those of Schneider. 



In accordance with Schneider's recommendations, we have 

 opened the animals under examination, sometimes in white of 

 e^^y and sometimes in solutions of common salt or sugar. We 

 never succeeded in any species in detecting phsenomena of mo- 

 tion in the seminal corpuscles taken out of the seminal vesicle of 

 the male. This was also the case with Schneider. The result 

 was, however, very different when seminal corpuscles taken out 

 of the tuba or out of the uterus were subjected to observation. 

 Amongst the species examined, one is especially adapted for the 

 investigation of the phsenomena of motion in question ; this 

 is the Strongylus auricularisy which we shall therefore consider 

 more particularly here. 



In the first place, we are struck by the number of different 

 corpuscles which occur besides the ova themselves within the 

 female genitalia. BaggeJ has already stated that the seminal 

 vesicle of the male contains corpuscles of a form very different 

 from those which he was inclined to regard as seminal cor- 

 puscles in the female. The former are the conical corpuscles, 

 often resembling the horn of a chamois in form, which have 

 already been mentioned. The second constitute round cells fur- 

 nished with an elongated nucleus. This observation of Baggers 

 is perfectly correct, but incomplete. Not only the nucleated cells, 

 but also corpuscles exactly similar to those from the male seminal 

 vesicle, and besides these, others of an irregular form which 



* Die Blasenbandwiirmer und ihre Entwicklung. Giessen, 1856, p. 121. 



t Sur les raouvements particuliers des cellules plasmatiques, &e. 

 Gazette liebd. de Medecine, No. 48, 1856. 



X Deevolutione Strongyli auricularis Qt Ascaridis acuminatce. Erlangte, 

 1841. 



13* 



