1881.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 81 



mentous bauds which join the terga and sterna ; in the hinder 

 somites these bands are joined together dorsally and form an 

 arch. The anterior ones are joined medially below l)}- hiteral 

 processes. They also exist in the head. 



" Tlie digestive apparatus consists of a straight canal which 

 extends from the mouth to the anus. The phaiynx passes between 

 the ligamentous bands of the upper cephalic plates. The aisopha- 

 gus is provided with annular folds and longitudinal and annular 

 muscles The stomach is decidedl}- widened and consists of an 

 elongated cylindrical sac and is covered with brownish hepatic 

 cells ; these cells have finely granular contents. There are no cilia 

 on the inner surface of the stomach or alimentar}^ canal. The 

 stomach is usually of a 3'ellowish brown color because of the 

 contained food, which consists of particles of brown mould or 

 humus, which could not be taken in by a sucking apparatus. 

 The cavit}' of the small intestine is ver}- much more contracted 

 than tliat of the stomach, and at its commencement four vermi- 

 cularly coiled malpighian tubules open into it. 



" Immediately above the anus lies the opening of the oviduct 

 and ovary, the latter consisting of a simple c^dindrical canal with 

 thin transparent walls. Eggs in different stages of development 

 may usually be found therein. 



" I did not see the male sexual organs, as all of the specimens 

 dissected were females. 



" I was not able to study the nervous sj'stem satisfactorily. 

 From the head a simple cord passes backwards, which has scarcely 

 noticeable ganglionic swellings at every somite, from which simple 

 pairs of nerves pass to the legs. 



"The vascular sj^stem consists of a simple straight canal just 

 below the dorsal scutes beginning just behind the head and passing 

 backwards to the caudal appendages where it divides, each branch 

 ending blindl}^ in the latter. The presence of valves in the dorsal 

 vessel, trachea or tracheal openings was not revealed by an amplifi- 

 cation of 4.50 diameters with a Nobert microscope of fine qualitv. 



'' The function of the ventral and caudal appendages is not cer- 

 tainly known. I have on several occasions found specimens of 

 Machilis which had eggs attached to the caudal styles, and I have 

 supposed that these appendages in Scolopendrella have the same 

 use. If a needle is brought into contact with the tips of either 

 of these appendages at the opening of the spinning organ a long 



