126 



Woodward^) where seven pairs of ovaries occurred in one animaL 

 The cases where a supernumerary gland has occurred in one half- 

 metamere and not in the other are rare. 



The correlations in the accessory reproductive apparatus are some- 

 what peculiar. It will be seen that the openings of the oviducts are 

 one somite in front of those of the vasa deferentia. This relation 

 appears to be a constant one since it occurs in normal individuals 

 and in all recorded cases of variation in this and closely allied genera. 

 Even in so variable a form as Periouyx as detailed by Beddard-) 

 this fixed relation between male and female ducts holds approximately 

 true. In this case the female pore is normally four somites anterior 

 to the male pore, and in all the variations he recorded, regardless of 

 the absolute position of the pores, the relative positions were very 

 nearly the same. The slight differences are to be accounted for, I 

 think, by the great variability of this form. That the oviducts develop 

 in correlation to the male duct and not to the ovaries is evidenced 

 by the fact that in the case under consideration there is one ovary 

 on each side of the body without a corresponding oviduct. All re- 

 corded variations of the reproductive system in earthworms also con- 

 firm the view that the oviduct does not develop primarily in relation 

 to the ovary. A single example will suffice. In the case already 

 cited as described by Woodward, where seven pairs of ovaries were 

 present there was only one pair of oviducts and those in their normal 

 relation to the vasa deferentia. 



The sperm ducts may next be considered. Normally in Lumbricus 

 each vas deferens has opening into it two vasa efiferentia each con- 

 nected with a seminal funnel and it opens on the fourth somite 

 posterior to the one in which the more posterior seminal funnel is 

 situated. This relation is preserved in this abnormal specimen. On 

 the left side there is a supernumerary seminal funnel lying one somite 

 posterior to that normally occupied by the more posterior funnel. On 

 this side the vas deferens opens one segment farther back than usual, 

 i. e. four somites caudad from the most posterior seminal funnel. It 

 is interesting to observe that the vas efiferens from the extra funnel 

 passes into the somite next posterior before opening into the vas 

 deferens thus preserving the usual relation shown by all the genital 

 ducts and nephridia of the earthworm. 



1) M. F. Woodward, Proc. Zoöl. Soc, 1892, p. 184, Bateson's 

 case 100. 



2) J. E. Beddard, Proc. Zoöl. Soc, 1886, p. 308, Bate.son's case 106. 



