24 DESCRIPTIONS OF EARTHWORMS. 



mathecae of Acanthodrilus, »that the spermatozoa become 

 embedded in granular masses , which are formed by the 

 metamorphosis of the lining epithelium of the spermathecal 

 diverticula" ^). In the main pouch itself no spermatozoa 

 were met with, only a granular coagulum was to be found. 

 In Dichogaster Damonis ^) the spermathecae have also a 

 mulberry-like diverticulum, consisting of numerous small 

 coeca, enclosed within a common muscular sheath. Like- 

 wise Argilophilus ^) has the sperma stored in numerous 

 chambers , embedded in the muscular layer of the duct ; 

 however Eisen does not describe nor figure any epithelium 

 in these chambers. I cannot believe that it should be 

 entirely wanting, perhaps the layer has been lost here, 

 or has become so thin , that it was overlooked. The 

 spermatheca of the allied Benh. Beddardi, is not only 

 distinguished by its having the sperma contained in a 

 couple of small diverticula at the sides of the duct, next 

 to the external orifice, but is especially characterized by 

 the structure of the wall of its excretory duct (fig. 6). 

 This wall , as stated before , contains a great number of 

 glandular tubes, which lie parallel to the longitudinal 

 axis of the duct and enter its lumen in the vicinity of the 

 spermathecal pore; whether some of these tubes commu- 

 nicate with each other, could not be recognized. The tubes 

 are surrounded by a network of bloodvessels and two kinds 

 of cells occur in their lining epithelium. In the superior 

 region of each tube the epithelial layer consists of cylin- 

 drical cells with finely granular protoplasma, but the in- 

 ferior part presents numerous pyriform cells , showing clear 

 contents. 



As regards the rest of the internal anatomy, this worm 

 agrees with the other .ö«/iAamza-species. The prostata is 

 a long, tubular gland, irregularly bent. The nephridia 



1) Quart. Journal of Microsc. Science, vol. XXX, p. 466. 



2) ibidem, vol. XXIX, p. 257, pi. XXIV, fig. 20. 



3) California Eudrilidae; Memoirs California Acad, of Sciences, vol. 11, 

 1894, p. 60, pi. XX, figs. 81—85. 



Notes from the Leyden Museima, A'ol. X"%''II. 



