MEGASCOLECIDAE 281 



Nephridia: the terminal section of the duct proximal to the external pore is con- 

 siderably dilated but does not form a large vesicle as for instance in Ch. patagonica ; 

 before entering the body-wall the duct is constricted again. Owing to poor preservation 

 it is not possible to describe the condition more accurately. Seminal vesicles, two pairs, 

 in segments 9 and 11, not one pair in segment 1 1 as described by Beddard for the types ; 

 the anterior pair is, however, very reduced and finely lobulate. Ovisacs present, in one 

 specimen apparently on the left side only. 



Prostates occupying five segments of which the first contains the moderately long, thin 

 and sinuous duct. In one specimen both prostates are missing on the right side, and 

 normal ventral sigmoid setae are present instead of penial setae. 



Penial setal sac muscles pass backwards beside the prostatic glands and originate 

 from the body-wall at the fourth intersegment behind their respective prostatic pores. 

 Penial setae in two dissimilar sub-bundles, approximately as described and figured by 

 Beddard. Setae of the b bundle are long and thin (3-3-3-4mm. long, diameter near 

 base ca. 34^, in middle region of the stem very irregular ca. 20-22, ij., at the distal end 

 below the blade 11-12-5^, breadth of blade 17-20/i, thickness ca. 4-5m). About the 

 distal two-fifths of the stem is ornamented with long, slender teeth, in groups of two or 

 three or in longer rows, rarely singly ; these are chiefly on the lateral and convex sides, 

 not on the inner side of the curvature. On the blade the ornamentation continues on the 

 convex side, but the concave side is smooth, and the sides of the blade are toothed. 

 Contrary to Michaelsen's re-description the teeth just below the blade are not con- 

 spicuously stouter than the rest. The point of the blade is not as blunt as in Beddard 's 

 figure for that of a type (Fig. 2 c). The setae of the a bundle are somewhat stouter and 

 only about half as long as those of the b bundle ; the tip is slightly flattened, but not 

 broadened, to form a scarcely differentiated blade which terminates in a blunt point 

 (length ca. i-8 mm., diameter near base 41-49/^, in middle region of stem 26-29^, 

 tapering at distal end to 15-17^ below the flattened tip, breadth of blade ca. 15-5^, 

 thickness ca. 6 p.) ; distal third of stem ornamented on the concave side of the curvature 

 with large blunt scales, or more distally with large pointed scales ; on the convex side 

 with slender pointed teeth, either singly or in rows of two, three or more (Fig. 2 d, e). 



Spermathecae : the sperm chamber at the end of the long, thick stalk of the diverti- 

 culum is apparently only divided into a few rather large chambers, and does not consist 

 of numerous chambers forming a mulberry-like head as described by Michaelsen (1923). 

 This appearance may be merely the resuh of poor preservation and is, in any case, 

 probably not a significant diiTerence. 



In other characters, both external and internal, as far as could be determined, these 

 specimens are essentially in agreement with the types. 



Observations. Except for the presence of seminal vesicles in segment 9 and the 

 position of the gizzard in segment 5 instead of 7 these specimens agree very well with 

 the descriptions of Ch. bicinctus. The possibility that Beddard was mistaken in both these 

 observations cannot be overlooked, since the anterior seminal vesicles are very reduced 

 and the position of the gizzard is always difficult to determine. Only a re-examination 



