512 J. H. ORTON. 



to the left after the disappearance of the club-shaped gland. It is there- 

 fore possible that the larval asymmetry of Amphioxus may be correlated 

 with the function of the club-shaped gland, and if the suggestion here 

 made that this gland may secrete a substance for attaching the larva 

 temporarily to objects is found to be a fact, a simple explanation similar 

 to that put forward by Korscheldt and Heider is offered of the curious 

 asymmetry in the early larval development of this interesting animal. 



SUMMARY. 



A hermaphrodite specimen of Amphioxus has been taken at Plymouth 

 having one gonadial pouch filled with ova and the remaining pouches 

 filled with sperm. This specimen closely resembles a similar one taken 

 by Goodrich at Naples. 



The liver and intestine of the Plymouth specimen are abnormal, but 

 no parasites have been identified in the tissues to account for these 

 abnormalities. 



It is, moreover, improbable that there is any normal sex-change in 

 Amphioxus, since three independent investigators have found very small 

 specimens of both sexes, therefore no satisfactory explanation can be 

 given of the occurrence of hermaphroditism in the specimen. 



Amphioxus have been found to spawn in June, and larvae have been 

 obtained from the captive specimens. 



It is suggested that the club-shaped gland may secrete a substance 

 for attaching the larva of Amphioxus to objects, and that this function 

 may be correlated with the asymmetry shown in the early development 

 of the Amphioxus larva. 



