338 KANSAS UNIVERSITY SCIENCE BULLETIN. 



tions. Lespes says that the ampulla is formed and then moved 

 out to its position between the two pallets. I think that this 

 cannot be correct, as it would mean that the plate and thread 

 would have to be joined onto the ampulla. In all the specimens 

 I have seen the inside cavity and the walls are just as smooth 

 as they can be. I cannot imagine that if the apparatus is 

 formed in two parts they could be joined together so exactly 

 and smoothly. I would rather believe that the structure is 

 formed as a whole in situ. The thing that gave the idea that 

 it moved back is the fact that when the wall has partly hard- 

 ened the pallets retract a little, exposing the ampulla. 



When there is no spermatophore in a male cricket the hooks 

 are drawn far down, the pallets are much contracted and 

 folded, and a part of the loose tissue on the floor of the cavity 

 is rolled up and fits into the mold as a sort of plug. The pallets 

 and the plug have deeply grooved and ridged surfaces which 

 line the small lumen within. 



Things occur about as follows when a spermatophore is 

 formed : The inner lumen becomes a little larger and assumes 

 the shape of the cavity of the vesicle. Then the sperm pass 

 down, filling it up. It is possible that the lining cells secrete a 

 small amount of substance to form a thin membrane, and 

 Lespes may have found an example in this stage. If a mem- 

 brane is secreted it cannot be discerned later. Now some secre- 

 tion comes down the common duct. This flows in and fills up 

 the grooves. The ridges withdraw, forming new grooves to 

 be filled up. The process continues till enough is laid down 

 to form the inner layer of the wall. Then the flow ceases for 

 a while, and the secretion hardens somewhat. After a longer 

 or shorter time a second inflow of secretion occurs, and it takes 

 the place of the withdrawn ridges till the surface of the lining 

 membrane becomes smooth, thus forming the outer wall of 

 the ampulla. Then the whole hardens into the completed sper- 

 matophore. I think the whole takes place in a short time rel- 

 atively. There may be movements accompanying the process, 

 although I have not observed them. 



Since there is but one duct, the only other assumption which 

 could be made is that the secretion and the sperm come down 

 all together instead of in succession. If this be correct, then the 

 long sperm would have to wiggle their way to the center. This 

 is hardly possible. Besides, it would be difficult to explain the 

 second layer in the wall of the ampulla by this hypothesis. 



