CHINESE EARTHWORMS — GATES 503 



In the setal circle of xviii on each side there is visible a small 

 transversely oval area. Each of these areas is demarcated laterally 

 by a slight, rather crescentic furrow, the concave side of the crescent 

 facing mid ventr ally. Just lateral to this furrow on one specimen is 

 a tiny rudiment of a cresentic lip. On the lateralmost portion of 

 the oval area there is visible a minute rudiment of the male pore 

 (confirmed by dissection). On each male pore area (1 specimen) 

 there are visible with high magnification and brilliant illumination 

 two tiny spots somewhat median to the male-pore rudiment. These 

 spots appear to be the rudiments of genital markings. Just anterior 

 to the lateralmost 2 or 3 male setae on each side is a transversely 

 oval genital marking. 



Internal anatomy.— ^Q^i\im 4/5 is thin; 5/6-7/8 thickly muscular; 

 8/9-9/10 lacking; 10/11-13/14 muscular to thickly muscular; 14/15 

 slightly muscular; 15/16 and several succeeding septa are thickened 

 but membranous. 



The intestinal caeca are simple, extending from xxvii into 

 xxi-xxiii ; the ventral margins incised, the ventral lobes rounded or 

 fingerlike but short and stumpy. 



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

 vesicles of xi and xii are medium-sized, anteroposteriorly flattened, 

 vertical bodies. In xiii there is a pair of fairly large pseudovesicles. 

 The prostatic duct is 4-5 mm long, bent into a C- or U-shape. The 

 duct is not narrowed prior to entrance into the parietes but on the 

 contrary has a rather bulbous appearance in the dorsal portion of 

 the body wall. While the longitudinal muscle fibers were being re- 

 moved the prostatic duct was accidentally broken off. The broken 

 ends are not irregular and jagged but smooth and regular. At the 

 ventral end of the ental portion there is a deep, smooth-surfaced and 

 glistening, cuplil^e socket. Attached to a middorsal point within the 

 socket is a very slender but firm cord. The dorsal end of the ectal 

 portion of the duct is also smooth and glistening, ball-shaped. At 

 the center of the dorsal surface is a pore opening into a lumen from 

 which the slender cord has been pulled out. The ectal portion of 

 the duct narrows gradually in the outer portion of the body wall 

 but can be readily traced for most of the distance, as it remains 

 firm and has a smooth, glistening surface. The prostatic duct of 

 the other side of the same worm was then broken off revealing a 

 similar ball-and-socket joint. 



The spermathecae are rudimentary, just projecting from the 

 parietes into the coelomic cavity ; the diverticulum, a slender, finger- 

 like body ; duct and ampulla not differentiated. Pulling the sperma- 

 theca out of the parietes after separating the fibers of the longitu- 

 dinal muscle layer leaves a rather wide, transversely oval aperture 

 with a smooth margin in the epidermis. 



