Smith. — Notes on New Zealand Earthworms. 145 



" Vas Deferens. — Phreodrilus is furnished with only a 

 single pair of vas deferens funnels, situated in segment xi. 

 It is comparatively small, and markedly cup-shaped. The 

 funnel is lined by a single layer of epithelial cells, which 

 are furnished, with particularly loug cilia. The funnel 

 on each side of the body is connected with the vas 

 deferens, which is a narrow tube lined by comparatively 

 few cells. 



"Atria. — One remarkable point about the atrium of 

 Phreodrilus is its great length ; but, instead of extending 

 through a large number of segments, as in Latroa, the entire 

 atrium is contained in the twelfth segment. It is, however, 

 coiled upon itself several times, and is thus able to be stowed 

 away in one segment. The structure of the atrium is the 

 same throughout. The epithelium of the whole atrium 

 was thrown into folds. I could detect no trace of cilia 

 anywhere ; and, as the cilia of the vas deferens and 

 other organs were beautifully preserved, I am disposed 

 to think that the atrium of this genus is not ciliated 

 during life. At the external pore the atrial epithelium 

 passes without any break into the epidermis. There was 

 no trace of a penis or any specialisation in the distal section 

 of the atrium. 



" Ovaries. — These gonads are paired, and arise from the 

 intersegmental septum between segments xi.-xii. in a position 

 corresponding to that of the testes ; they lie therefore on the 

 twelfth segment below the funnel of the vas deferens ; but 

 they do not also extend into the segment in front as the 

 testes do. The ovaries are limited to the twelfth segment. I 

 have been able to observe certain stages in the development of 

 the ova which show a remarkable parallelism to .the develop- 

 ment of the spermatozoa. Many clumps of developing ova were 

 to be seen lying in various parts of the coelom of segment xii. 

 I found others (not so many) in segment xi. among the de- 

 veloping spermatozoa. This may possibly be due to the 

 presence of an additional pair of ovaries belonging to the 

 eleventh segment, but I have no other evidence which points 

 to such a conclusion. The further stages in the development 

 of the ova are as follow : The central mass of protoplasm is 

 always without a nucleus, but soon comes to be clearly sepa- 

 rated from the cells surrounding it ; it assumes a polygonal 

 form. The surrounding cells, which form a complete invest- 

 ment for the central mass, lose their pear-shaped outline, and 

 become angular when they are in contact with the neighbour- 

 ing cells and with the central mass of protoplasm. The outer 

 surface is rounded and convex. 



" Oviduct. — The oviduct, as in the Lumbriculidce and Tu- 

 bificidcB, is very short, and consists of little more than the 

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