Anatomy of the Male Genital Tube in Coleoptera. 609 
IV. FUNCTION. 
Although a knowledge of the functions of the different 
parts of the male genitalia is essential to a comprehen- 
sion of our subject, yet knowledge is at present so little 
advanced that we can here offer to the student only a 
general statement and a few suggestions. 
The matter for the starting of a new generation is pre- 
pared in the centres of the bodies of two separate individ- 
uals, and it is necessary that the two essences should be 
brought together. This of course is effected in the 
Insecta by copula. During the copula an unobstructed 
road must exist. This is the genital conduit, and is 
formed in part by the genital tube of the male and in part 
by the genital tube of the female, These structures of two 
different individuals form functionally a single organ. The 
sex structures are unique in this respect. And they are 
not correlative with the life of the individuals, but with 
the life of the generations. 
The importance of a correlative knowledge of the genital 
tube of the female is absolute, but from the point of view 
we take there is but little information. 
The female Coleopteron is usually (possibly always) 
provided with a spermatheca—a special vessel for the 
reception of the matter transmitted along the male genital 
tube. It would appear that this spermatheca is generally 
placed near the base of the azygotic portion of the female 
genital tube. 
The male structures are therefore directed to the object 
of placing the sperm in the spermatheca. The first 
question that arises is as to whether this is accomplished 
directly or indirectly. Must the sperm be deposited 
directly in the spermatheca ? Or is it sufficient that it be 
placed in some other part of the female tube ? 
No positive answer can be given to this question at 
present. It appears from the vague remarks that one 
finds in literature that the general idea is that the placing 
of the sperm in any portion of the female tube is adequate. 
The opinion we ourselves entertain is, however, the reverse 
of this. We incline to the view that in a large number of 
cases, the male structures actually place the sperm in the 
spermatheca, however remote that structure may be from 
the orifice of the genital tube of the female. The flagellum 
