DESCRIPTEONS OF EARTHWORMS. 127 



fact, already stated by Beddard ^) , that usually we find 

 the spermatozoa contained within the supplementary pouches 

 and not in the main copulatory pouch. I observed it in 

 some specimens of Perichaeta and Beddard made the same 

 statement with regard to the spermathecae of three species 

 of Acanthodrilus from New Zealand. 



The stout wall of the duct of each spermatheca not 

 only consists of muscular tissue but also contains nume- 

 rous tubular glands ; these glandular tubes lie parallel to 

 the longitudinal axis of the duct and enter its lumen quite 

 near the external aperture. 



With regard to the other particulars of its structure this 

 species appears to agree very closely with Ac. Biittikoferi. 



The intestinal canal is furnished with two gizzards {g) 

 and with three pairs of lobed coeca {gl) in the segments 

 15 and 16; at the anterior side of the fifth septum two 

 racemous glands are situated , surrounding the oesophagus 

 on each side {n) , and the segmental organs are replaced 

 by tufts of faint tubes , especially obvious in the segments 

 of the girdle. The funnels of the vasa deferentia (ƒ) are 

 situated in the 11th and 12th segments, enclosed in an 

 unpaired vesicula seminalis , which surrounds the ventral 

 nerve-cord and extends forward till into the 10th segment; 

 in the 12th and 13th ring other paired vesiculae semina- 

 les are situated , which are connected with the unpaired sac. 



The ovaries (o) are to be found in the 14th segment; they do 

 not consist of a single contiguous mass of eggs , like in 

 Ac. Biittikoferi , but are represented by a group of irregu- 

 larly shaped grapes, containing numerous ripe ova. 



The prostate glands (pr) consist of very long, highly 

 coiled , tubular bodies. 



1) Proceed. Zool. Society of London, 1885, p. 830. 



Notes from tlae Leyden Museaxn, "Vol. X. 



