( 330 ) 



from the ventral side, of the right-side ovary spread out. The eight tubes open 

 successively in a common duct, whose walls are very expansible. This duct is 

 continued by the oviduct proper (ovd), which has very thick walls. The two 

 oviducts are united to form a very short vagina. In all this there is nothing 

 very peculiar. The interesting point is the structure of the egg-tubes. Each 

 tube contains a single egg, which develops into a young Hemi merits within the 

 tube. The youngest stage is found in the apical tube, and the most advanced 

 embryo in the tube nearest the oviduct. The embryos In the right and left 

 ovaries are of practically the same size, and, judging from the two almost fully 

 developed embryos found in the lowest chamber of the right and left ovaries of 

 one of the specimens dissected, I believe that, at least occasionally, two young 

 are born one soon after the other. The lowest right chamber of the ovary 

 represented in fig. 2 of PI. XVIII. was an empty sack, the young presumably 

 having left the mother. In another ovary the fourth and si.xth tubes counting 

 from the top were reduced to a small process. The specimens were too much 

 macerated for a study of the histology ; but so much could be ascertained that 

 the embryo is nourished by means of the process from tlie neck. The egg is 

 connected with the small nutriment chamber {rich), which forms the ape.x of each 

 egg-tube, by means of a kind of duct. The egg-chamber of Hemimeriis bears 

 some resemblance to that of Forjicula auricidaria, in which insect it consists 

 also of a single egg au<l a nutriment chamber intimately connected with the egg. 

 The connection remains in linmiinenis until tije embryo is full grown. When the 

 embryo is peeled ont of the ovary the nuchal organ breaks off, and the remnant 

 attached to the embryo has the appearance as represented in fig. («c/<, dorsal 

 view) and fig. lu (lateral view). We have failed to gain any knowledge of the 

 kind of connectioti of this organ with the interior of the embryo. Sagittal and 

 transverse sections of two embryos proved that maceration had gone too far. 

 Comparing a nearly fall-grown embryo, whose e.xoskeleton was already becoming 

 brown, with an adult [lemimerus, it appeared to us probable that the nuchal organ 

 of the embryo develops into the plate covering in the adult the occipital foi'iimen 

 dorsally, as shown in fig. 3. The mature embryo remains enveloped in its 

 original skin (PI. XVIII. fig. lU), the first ecdysis doubtless taking jjlace while 

 the embryo ])asses through the oviduct. We do not believe that the embryo could 

 possibly cast the skin wliile it is coiled u]) in the ovary. Its position in the 

 chamber of the ovary suggests that it pas.ses in that state into the oviduct. The 

 latter is widened at its lower end, and here the embryo is perhaps retained until 

 it has moulted and is fit to shift for itself 



The external genital armature is very simple in the female. The seventh 

 sternite (vii. st., PI. XVIII. fig. (ij is very large, and completely conceals the 

 genital area. On removing this plate (fig. 7) the small sclerites representing 

 the eighth and ninth segments become visible. The eighth sternite (viii. st.) is 

 fairly strongly chitinised, and resembles a buttonhook. The nintli sternite (ix. st. ) 

 is for the greater part membraneous, forming a large di.stallx rounded flap which 

 is proximally united with the eighth sternite. The sexual orifice lies between 

 these flaps.* 



* Carpeiitur ha.-, recently I»eeu altle to show tlial talpoidt-x fnmi Sierra Leone is liroader tlian 

 hanseni from more soutliern and central districts of Africa, and that it differs also in a few other small 

 points. There are therefore at least two geographical races ((;f. AV. Mo, Maij. lWt9. p. 25i. tab, 4), 



