142 DESCRIPTIONS OF EARTH WOllMS. 



enclosed in a pouch-like protrusion of the septum IX/X. 

 The funnel is inserted to the innerside of the front-wall of 

 the sac and passes into a delicate , greatly convoluted 

 spermduct, situated along the front-side of the ninth sep- 

 tum and accompanied in its course by a bloodvessel; arri- 

 ved near the ventral body-wall it traverses the septum , 

 passes backward till into segment XI and opens into the 

 prostata. The prostata is an orange-coloured , plain , tubu- 

 lar organ, consisting of two limbs, which form an U-sha- 

 ped loop and the former of which opens externally into 

 the intersegmental groove X/XI. Its surface is faintly ru- 

 gose, divided in small polygonal fields, which correspond 

 to the groups of glandular cells, of which the wall of the 

 prostate is composed , and which with their convex base 

 project somewhat above the surface of this organ. In most 

 Moniligaster-s'pecies the prostata appears to present a more 

 compressed, pyriform shape and to be specialized in two 

 regions, a distal muscular one, the atrium, and a proxi- 

 mal more glandular part , the prostata. Only in Monilig. 

 Deshayesi and M. Houteni it appears to have a more elon- 

 gated , tubular appearance. Though my material did not 

 permit an investigation of the finer histology of the pro- 

 stata , on a transverse section , made with the razor , its 

 structure could distinctly be recognized. 



This perfectly agrees with the structure of the prostata of 

 Monilig. indicus, as described and figured by Benham , PL 

 XXXIII, fig, 9, only the muscular layer lies nearer to the 

 epithelium, that surrounds the lumen, like as in Monilig. 

 Barwelli^). The fascicles of long, narrow ducts of the 

 club-shaped gland-cells, could not only easily be distin- 

 guished , but I observed , that those ducts were closely 

 brought together in the muscular coat, and after having 

 traversed this layer again diverged , probably to make place 

 for the epithelial cells, lying between their necks. I found 

 the epithelial layer lined by a distinct cuticula. In the pro- 



1) Quart. Journ. Micr. Science, Vol. XXIX, PI. XII, figs. 10—12. 

 Notes from the Leyden Museum, "Vol. XVI. 



