282 THE SALAMANDER 



peritoneal epithelium independently of the Wolffian ducts. Gemmill 

 (1897) took a view midway between these two extremes and held 

 that the anterior part of the oviduct arose as Wilson described from 

 a peritoneal evagination, but that the posterior portion was formed 

 by splitting off from the Wolffian duct. Finally Rabl (1903-4) 

 affirms that the funnel is formed from the metamorphosed 'second' 

 nephrostome of the pronephros, and that the part of the duct immedi- 

 ately posterior to this, forming the anterior part of the duct, is 

 formed by a thickening of the coelomic epithelium which then grows 

 backwards independently to form the posterior part of the duct. 

 Hall (i 904) confirms this mode of origin for Amblystoma, and hence 

 it may be accepted as a final verdict on this vexed question. 



5. The Receptaculum Seminis and the Cloaca. 



The cloaca of the female is a simple chamber into which open the 

 ureters, the oviducts, the rectum, and the urinary bladder. As men- 

 tioned above, the openings of the ureters are situated immediately 

 dorsal to the oviducal openings, which, in turn, lie on either side of 

 the rectum, while the opening of the bladder lies directly beneath 

 them ventral to the anus. The external opening of the cloaca is a 

 longitudinal slit which, in the female, lies flush with the surrounding 

 tissues and is not possessed of tumid or swollen lips. The lateral and 

 dorsal walls of the cloaca are thrown into deep furrows, while on the 

 dorsal wall, just behind the oviducal openings, may be seen a pair 

 of pigmented patches. These mark the position of the receptaculum 

 seminis (rec.sem.) which is usually considered to be the homologue 

 of the pelvic gland of the male (see p. 287). 



The receptaculum seminis was noticed and described by Leydig 

 (1853), but he did not observe the sperms within it, and did not 

 realize its significance. This omission was supplied by von Siebold, 

 who is usually credited with the discovery some five years later 

 (1858). The organ consists of a number of small finger-like pockets 

 protruding dorsally from the roof of the cloaca, which imbibe the 

 sperms liberated from the spermatophore after it has been taken up 

 into the cloacal chamber of the female (see also p. 5). The sperms 

 are apparently able to, and normally do, live for a considerable time 

 within the receptaculum. 



6. The Urinary Bladder. 



The urinary bladder (Fig. Gi^^ bl.) is a large bilobed sac with very 

 thin walls lying ventrally in the posterior abdomen between the 

 rectum and the pelvic girdle. It extends anteriorly almost as far as 



