ENCHYTRAEIDAE 



255 



wards, or with an S-shaped curve, to the surface ; its ectal portion is wider, and except, 

 apparently, when the duct is put on the stretch has a distinct cavity or small reservoir. 



The male funnels are about 5 times as long as broad, and possess a broad flange-like 

 rim. 



The spermathecal ampulla (Fig. 7) is of a somewhat oblong shape, and about i| times 

 as long as wide ; it communicates with the oesophagus by a narrow passage which runs 

 out to a point at the oesophageal wall ; the opening is scarcely patent in these specimens. 

 The duct is about half as long as the ampulla, and less than half 

 as wide, and the separation between duct and ampulla appears at 

 first to be fairly definite. In a longitudinal section of the organ, 

 however, the tall columnar cells of the duct extend far into the 

 ampulla — to nearly half its height, where they suddenly give place 

 to a much lower, approximately cubical epithelium, which lines 

 the upper portion of the cavity. Around the base of the duct, not 

 covering its whole length, is a crown of gland cells, a lobed mass 

 consisting really of some of the cells of the lining epithelium of the 

 duct which have elongated outwards through the muscular layer 

 of the duct. Not all the epitheHal cells of the ectal end of the duct 

 are thus elongated ; there is still an epithelial lining with nuclei 

 basally situated, then on the outside of this layer a thin muscular 

 coat with interruptions for the passage of the elongated gland 

 cells, and then the bodies of these cells with their nuclei irregu- 

 larly distributed, 



Copulatory glands are present in five segments, xiv-xviii ; in the 

 anterior segments of the series they are of moderate size — largest, 

 and equally large in xiv and xv ; they then diminish in size back- 

 wards, and in xviii are very small. All leave the dorsal surface of 

 the cord free. My series of sections do not go back beyond xviii, 

 but from the small size of the glands in this segment it seems im- 

 probable that there should be any more behind this point. 



The correspondence between these specimens of mine and Benham's worms is close. 

 The number of copulatory glands is larger than that given by Benham, though as an 

 exception the present number (five) was even exceeded by one of Benham's specimens. 

 Similarly, though in his worms the dorsal vessel did not usually arise in xv, it did so 

 occasionally. Septal glands are said by Benham to be present in vii ; possibly the condition 

 is really not unlike that described above. 



Most of the other features are sufficiently similar in Benham's worms and mine to call 

 for no remark. 



Fig. 7. Liimbricillus mac- 

 quariensis ; spermatheca 

 in section, showing sud- 

 den transition of cubical 

 epithelium of upper part 

 of ampulla to high 

 columnar of lower part 

 of ampulla and duct. 

 gl. gland mass forming 

 a crown round ectal end 

 of duct. 



