CHINESE EARTHWORMS GATES 443 



them to the anterior face of 10/11. The last pair of hearts is in 

 xiii (18 specimens). All hearts of ix-xiii pass into the ventral 

 vessel. 



The testis sacs of x and xi are ventral and unpaired. The seminal 

 vesicles of xi and xii fill their segments and reach into contact trans- 

 versely above the doi-sal vessel. Each vesicle is provided with a 

 primary ampulla, which may be constricted oif by a circumferential 

 furrow from the ventral lamina or the base of the primary ampulla 

 may be narrowed or flattened and sunk into the dorsal margin of 

 the ventral lamina. The primary ampulla may reach a length equal 

 to one third of that of the entire vesicle. 



The prostates extend through xvi or xvii to xix, xx, or xxi. The 

 prostatic ducts are 6-10 mm long, each duct usually bent into a 

 hairpin-shape, with the ectal limb much thicker than the ental limb. 

 In a few specimens the loop is more open so that the duct has a 

 C-shape. The thick portion of the duct at first appears to pass 

 directly into the parietes, but if connective tissue around the duct 

 near the parietes is carefully dissected off a much slenderer portion, 

 bent into one or two tiny, very short U-shaped quirks, becomes 



visible. 



No stalked glands or glandular masses can be found on the parietea 

 or within the parietes in the vicinity of the prostatic ducts. 



Tlie spermathecal duct is smooth, the coelomic portion of about 

 the same diameter throughout and about equal in length to the 

 ampulla. The diverticulum passes into the anterior face of the 

 duct close to the parietes; ectal to this junction the duct is much 

 narrowed. The diverticular stalk is slender, smooth, and firm, about 

 equal in length to the coelomic portion of the spermathecal duct or 

 slightly shorter, always shorter than the seminal chamber. The 

 latter is wider than the stalk, thin-walled and zigzag looped, ap- 

 parently within a delicate, transparent, connective tissue sac or 

 investment. The limbs of the loops are very short and in contact. 

 Usually all except two or three of the loops are in the same plane. 

 In one specimen all seminal chambers are straight and without any 

 trace of looping or constriction. 



If the spermathecal duct is grasped firmly at its junction with 

 the diverticulum and carefully and slowly pulled out from the 

 parietes, a small circular patch of tissue becomes visible which pro- 

 jects slightly into the coelomic cavity. At the center of this patch 

 is a tiny concave depression from which the narrowed portion of 

 the spermathecal duct has been removed. The circular patch of 

 tissue is the thin dorsal wall of a speraiathecal chamber, which 

 is almost entirely confined to the parietes. Within the spermathecal 

 chamber are the genital markings or tubercles (one or rarely two) 



