G3G RECORD OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



them an external border, wliicla is concave, and by wliich tliey arc 

 attached to the wall of the body, and a convex border which is free 

 and directed towards the ganglionic cord. The anterior extremity is 

 convex, and is always closed ; though the posterior extremity appears 

 to be glandular in character, it is not really so ; the appearance is 

 due merely to its great contractility, and it is at this end that the 

 gland communicates with the exterior. This communication is 

 eficcted by a circular pore, of some size, which is only difficult to see 

 on account of the rich supply of muscles with which it is provided. 

 In addition to this communication with the interior, the pouches also 

 communicate with the "visceral chamber" by an orifice placed near 

 their anterior extremity ; the whole of the interior is provided with 

 very long cilia, which work towards the exterior orifice. In structure, 

 these organs may be regarded as being composed of a wall, and of an 

 epithelium. The wall is formed of muscular fibres, and of connec- 

 tive tissue ; the former are most abundant in the region of the 

 posterior orifice. The epithelial layer is composed of spherical cells, 

 filled with yellow granules ; the most superficial are ciliated and 

 deej^ly pigmented. The walls are highly vascular, but there is no 

 indication whatever of any glandular structure. The author is of 

 opinion that not only in structure, but also in function, these bodies 

 are to be compared with the molluscan organ of Bojanus. 



Turning next to the segmental organs, we find that we have an 

 organ, the tissue of which is completely transparent, and which 

 is largely supplied with blood-vessels ; these bodies are connected 

 with the organ of Bojanus, and open by a wide orifice into the body- 

 cavity. By means of this orifice, the tubes are easily enabled to 

 act as the efferent ducts for the generative products. Connected 

 with the segmental organs, and like them arranged in six pairs, we 

 find the ovaries or testes: these are racemose in form, and their 

 products, which escape young, fall first of all into the body-cavity. 

 The student of this subject will see that the results here given are 

 very far from being in accordance with the views of Williams ; the 

 comparison which the author institutes between them can only be 

 referred to, as it is impossible to give any abstract of his review. 



Development of the Spermatozoa of the Earthworm.* — Mr. 

 Blomfield commences with a careful account of the position and 

 appearance of the testes of the earthworm, which is of value, as the 

 much more prominent seminal vesicles are often mistaken for them. 

 He describes them as pure white, translucent bodies, irregularly 

 quadrangular in form, and rarely more than -^^ inch in diameter. By 

 the assistance of Mr. Bourne, the author is enabled to explain how it is 

 that the seminal vesicles are ordinarily taken for testes. In order to 

 demonstrate the truth of Hering's account of the arrangement of these 

 parts, Mr. Bourne examined a scries of earthworms, and was able to 

 demonstrate that in full-grown forms, such as are ordinarily chosen 

 for dissection, the vesicles are so fully developed that the true testes 

 arc completely hidden from view. In immature specimens, these 



* 'Quart. Journ. Micr. Sci.,' xx. (1880) p. 70. 



