LIMULUS. 177 



6. The animal is hermaphroditic. The testes lie dorsal to 

 the stomach and communicate with a conspicuous coiled vas 

 deferens that is continued to the elongated penis at the end of the 

 abdomen. What need is there for such a long penis? The 

 ovary occupies the interior of the peduncle. The oviducts are 

 inconspicuous and hard to follow. They open near the bases 

 of the anterior thoracic appendages. 



7. Examine the appendages carefully and be sure that you 

 understand the relation of parts. What part must the pedun- 

 cle represent? Note the beautiful adaptation of the animal 

 for its life. 



A dfmving ^ihowing the organs is desirable. 



Bigelow: Early Development of Lepas. Bui. Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard, 



40 1902. 

 Delage: Evolution de la Sacculine. (Sacculina carcini.) Arch. Zool. Exp. 

 et Gen., 2« Series, 11, 1884. 



ARACHNOIDEA. 



LIMULUS. (Horseshoe Crab.) 



Notice the way in which the animal crawls upon the bottom. 

 Is it well protected from enemies? Examine it carefully for 

 parasites and for animals that are attached to it. Disturb it 

 and see if it will swim. The animals are usually quite active 

 in the evening, and if you visit a car in which they are kept, at 

 this time of the day, you are likely to find them crawling up the 

 sides, falling over and swimming on their backs. In this posi- 

 tion it is easy to determine how they swim. The animals are 

 very hardy and will stand even complete removal from the water 

 for days at a time. During the spring and early summer, eggs 

 are deposited in the sand; the male holding to the edge of the 

 abdomen of the female with claws modified for the purpose, is 

 dragged after her. If possible, the method of egg deposition 

 and fertilization should be observed. 



1. The animal consists of a hoof-shaped cephalothorax, an 

 abdomen, and a caudal spine. How are these joined? Is there 

 any indication of segmentation of any of them? 

 12 



