294 ASAJIRO OKA; ON SOME NEW 



but there are many of such openings scattered in the hinder part also. 

 In form and relative size, the mouth cavity of Orohdella approaches 

 that of the Cijlicobdella and Lumhricohdella. 



Stomach. I have examined this organ in two of the species only, 

 namely, Or. Wln'tmani and Or. Tjimai ; whether this organ exhibits 

 the same character in Or. octoiKiria, I am n(jt able to tell. In the 

 two species that I examined, the stomach presents no difference in its 

 general plan of structure. It is a tubular organ, the wall of which is 

 irregularly folded, the folds being generally caused l)y the presence of 

 dorso-ventral muscle-fibres. Near the hind end, where this oro-an 

 communicates with the intestine, it gives off two large blindsacs, one 

 on each side (Pi. XXX, Fig. 2). liehind this point, the stomach be- 

 comes narrower and forms a sort of funnel tliat opens into the next 

 section of the alimentary canal. In the number of blind sacs of the 

 stomach, these two specits agree with Lvmhricohdella. In many of 

 the specimens I found pieces of earthworms in the stomach, sometimes 

 as lung as the stomach itself. From this it follows, that the mouth 

 and the wide oesophagus serve only for swallowing, or at the most, 

 for cutting the worms into large portions, which are then sent into 

 the stomach whole. 



Intestine. The epithelial lining of the intestine can easily be 

 distinguished from that of the stomach by the greater height of the 

 individual cells, which is double or more that of the cells of the latter 

 organ. With ha3matoxylin the wall (^f the intestine is stained much 

 deeper than that of the stomach. From the appe u'auce of the contents, 

 it mifï'ht be iudsj'ed that the stomach is an oro-an for reserving- and 

 digesting the nourishment, while the intestine is entirely devoted to 

 its absorption. The numerous deep folds that increase the surface, 

 and the blood vessels that surround the intestine closely, may also be 

 looked upon as data for the above statement. 



