1913.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 143 



by Lieberklihn) in the form of a pumpkin. At one pole the head 

 projects, at the other the tail The cuticle is very thick, transparent, 

 finely transversely striated and of a blood-red color. It is often pro- 

 jected in expansions as the coils of the worm tighten. As the head 

 becomes retracted the cuticle forms a collar-like fold. In some 

 specimens the head and tail have been retracted into the centre 

 of the coil so as to become invisible. In others they project in a 

 varying degree, but never to a greater distance than half the diam- 

 eter of the worm. In such cases the projected part of the body 

 measures 100 to 150 mc. in diameter, tapers slightly anteriorly, to 

 end suddenly at the oral opening. (Plate IV, figs. 4, 5 and 8.) 



The Gut. — The mouth is unarmed and round. It is succeeded by 

 a dome-shaped buccal space which passes into a long oesophagus. 

 The oesophagus is marked off from the buccal space by a well-defined 

 ring. The walls of the oesophagus are very thick and composed of 

 circular and radial muscle fibres. The oesophagus can be traced 

 deeply into the coils of the worm, where it ends by a rounded extrem- 

 ity in the intestine. The intestine is visible only as a black, irregular 

 tract which twists apparently with the coils. It commences as a 

 large cul-de-sac which receives the oesophagus. It soon narrows 

 and thereafter is irregular in size. Anus subterminal. (Plate IV, fig. 8.) 



The posterior extremity of the worm narrows quickly to a sharp 

 point. Anal opening 450 mc. from tip. Vulvar orifice 900 mc. from 

 tip. Between the two openings the cuticle is thickened so as to 

 produce a rounded swelling. (Plate IV, fig. 6.) 



The general body cavity, including its expansions, is filled with 

 closely packed egg tubes, suggesting that such expansions are 

 especially designed to accommodate an extraordinarily developed 

 reproductive system. From the specimens examined in toto the 

 details of this system could not be made out. 



The ova are elliptical, measure 40 to 45 mc. in length and 20 to 

 25 mc. in width. Several specimens showed a peculiar unilateral 

 bib attached to the outside of the shell. (Plate IV, fig. 7.) 



Attempts were made to determine a regular arrangement of the 

 coils. This was very difficult in the case of the fully matured fe- 

 males. It would seem from their shape that the body expansions 

 grew into the grooves between the coils so as to form a well-rounded 

 mass. This makes it difficult to determine from which coil the head 

 and tail protrude (if they protrude at all) and which coils are 

 continuous with each other. The presence of the cuticular expan- 

 sions only serves to increase the difficulty. 



