272 Black G\irrant Eehvorm 



seen in (PI, III, fig. 1) as oblong masses of protoplasm arranged in a 

 single row. 



The thin walled tube — the vas deferens — which runs backwards 

 as a wide thin walled duct from this point opens to the exterior just 

 anterior and ventral to the rectum at the anterior end of the cloaca 



(PL m, fig. 1). 



In connection with the male organs the two chitinous spicules 

 mentioned above may be described here more carefully. 



The spicules are curved chitinous organs, probably developed as 

 local thickenings of the general chitinous covering of the body. They 

 are placed in a special pocket of the cloaca (PI. Ill, fig. 7), and are attached 

 to the base of this pocket. The spicules are two in number placed 

 right and left. When viewed in the ordinary way from the side only 

 one of the pair can be seen. Each spicule, however, consists of two 

 parts — an anterior smaller and a posterior much stouter part, joined 

 by a very firm curved rod (PI. Ill, fig. 8), so that when seen from the side 

 the appearance is that of two, one in front of the other. The exact 

 nature and position of these spicules is a matter of some importance 

 in determining the genus and species and so it is advisable to give 

 a detailed description of them. The stouter posterior limb is curved 

 as in the figure and tapers towards its distal end. It is flattened from 

 side to side. Its posterior end is truncated and oblique and from the 

 posterior or upper margin the slender bar runs which joins it to the 

 ventral or anterior limb. This is also curved, but is much smaller 

 and much thinner. I think there is no connecting piece between the 

 right and left spicules. In their natural position the proximal or 

 basal ends are far apart, and probably are one on each side of the cloaca, 

 but the distal or terminal ends of the stout limbs are in contact with 

 one another. I think the anterior slender limbs are not in contact, 

 but of this I am not sure. 



In some other members of Anguillulidae. the spicules are described 

 as having accessory pieces which lie 'posterior to the spicules them- 

 selves, to which the spicules may or may not be attached. In all 

 cases the accessory (posterior) pieces are smaller than the spicules 

 themselves. 



In this species are we to take the stout limbs to be the spicules, 

 and the other pieces modifications of them, or should we consider them 

 as accessory pieces to which they have become fused ? If so, then the 

 accessory pieces are anterior instead of posterior. Or may we regard 

 the stout limbs as being really the homologue of the accessory pieces. 



