56 Charles GELDERD 



Our préparations show that food pénétrâtes into the chamber below, 

 but ahvays in small quantities and always very finely divided. 



We think, however, that the food partiales may aiso enter into the 

 pyloric chamber along the grooves at the side of the ridge c, fig. 4, 5, 6. 

 Tlie hairs whicli fringe the lower borders of the latéral pièces 5^ seem to 

 act as a filter or sieve for we often find food in thèse grooves reduced to 

 fine partiales. 



The food may travel along thèse grooves and enter the anterior por- 

 tion of the pyloric chamber, through small passages formed at each side of 

 the summit of the ridge when the pyloric chamber is put into movement. 



Our préparations show that the latéral grooves of the médian pièce 63 

 are very often fiUed with the sécrétions from the digestive glands. 



We hâve seen even entire vesicles of proteid matter, that hâve been 

 cast ofif from the secreting cells, in thèse grooves. 



We hâve never, however, found them to contain any food partiales. 

 Since the openings of thèse grooves are close to the openings of the digestive 

 glands, at the posterior end of the pyloric chamber, it would seem that the 

 sécrétions pass by préférence into the grooves, where they can exude 

 through the comblike spines and mix with the fine partiales of food con- 

 tained in the grooves formed by the latéral pièces S^ and the pièce 5^. 



Professor Ide is of the opinion that the sécrétions pass by préférence 

 into the grooves formed by the latéral with the médian pièce but he had 

 not seen the latéral grooves in the pièce Sj. 



In our préparations of Anchialus, we hâve seen a considérable portion 

 of the pyloric chamber as well as the latéral grooves, filled with sécrétion 

 products from the digestive glands. 



Although the sécrétions are prevented from passing into the cardiac 

 chamber by the y^ culs de sacs - at the anterior portion of the pyloric cavity, 

 they are able, however, to pass above, behind the posterior surface of the 

 pièce Si. 



They can run forward also, but only for a short distance, along the 

 passages at each side of the upper folds S^s, fig. 17. 



The function, therefore, of the pyloric chamber in the Schizopoda is 

 that of mixing the already masticated food with the ferments of the diges- 

 tive glands. 



This is brought about by the action of the spines and hairs upon the 

 pyloric pièces, when the chamber is put into movement by the muscles. 



