AND THE MALES OF CERTAIN CEPHALOPODS. 137 



all the folds of the coil, and that so effectually, that there is some 

 difficulty in disentangling them. When the attempt has been 

 successful, we see that the coil is obviously composed of two 

 filiform organs rolled up together, i. e, of the deferent canal and 

 of an accessory gland, whose excretory canal is united to the 

 deferent canal towards the apex of the neck of the cornu. 



The deferent canal (PI. III. fig. 5 d') begins by a trumpet- shaped 

 orifice (PL III. fig. 5 i) folded like the orifice of the efferent canal, 

 but wider than the latter ; this orifice is not clothed with vibratile 

 ciha, like the efferent canal, which tends to confirm our observa- 

 tion, that the two canals have no direct communication with one 

 another. The plaited orifice of the deferent canal becomes conti- 

 nued into a considerable dilatation of a pear-shape (PI. III. fig. 5^) 

 whose wider extremity is turned towards the orifice, while the tail 

 a little enlarged passes into the continuation of the deferent canal ; 

 this dilatation is produced less by any enlargement of the cavity 

 of the canal than by the very considerable development of the 

 muscular layer, which forms very projecting longitudinal ridges 

 at this place, converging towards the pointed extremity of the 

 dilatation. Besides this greatly-developed muscular structure, 

 we see, as an appendage to the pyriform dilatation, a perfectly 

 rounded bag (PI. III. fig. 5 h) which pours its contents by means 

 of a little excretory duct, where the plaited orifice is continuous 

 with the muscular dilatation. We could discover no histological 

 elements in this secretion, which was composed of a substance 

 resembling stearine. 



The deferent canal is prolonged from the pyriform dila- 

 tation as a simple cylindrical canal. It possesses contractility, 

 owing to a muscular layer which principally forms the tube. 

 Two clavate enlargements succeed one another at a slight distance 

 from the pyriform dilatation, and are owing, like the latter, to a 

 greater development of the muscular layer. The interior of the 

 deferent canal is clothed through its whole length with a glairy 

 secretion, and most frequently the canal appears to be wholly 

 empty ; we however met with one individual in which a seminal 

 mass was arrested before the first clavate enlargement. We 

 shall return to this chance- discovery, since it throws some light 

 upon the formation of the seminal machines in general. 



In passing towards the pointed extremity of the cornu, the 



