258 E. S. GOODRICH. 



The nephridia of Vermiculus are no less peculiar than are 

 its other organs ; they are situated in Segments 6 to 9 inclu- 

 sive, and all the segments behind the 11th till near the tail 

 end. It is interesting to observe a nephridium opening into 

 the 11th segment in the adult. The general shape of the 

 nephridium is shown in fig. 25. Stretching back from the 

 funnel (fig. 25, ti. f.) we have a narrow duct which passes 

 through the septum, and gradually swells into a pear-shaped 

 mass (figs. 25 and 2S,p. s. m.), which is slightly pigmented, 

 contains a large number of granules, and in which the canal is 

 much convoluted (fig. 28, nph. c). The main body of the 

 nephridium (fig. 25, h. n.) is a more or less irregularly lobed 

 mass lying by the side of, and spreading over the ventral 

 blood-vessel, to which it closely adheres (fig. 32). Although 

 the right and left nephridia in the same segment mingle 

 over the blood-vessel, their canals do not communicate. From 

 the main body starts a canal to the exterior (fig. 25, c. ext.), 

 which opens on the surface in front of the ventral setae by a 

 minute pore (fig. 25, nph. p.). The internal funnel is small 

 and somewhat fiattened, but has its dorsal lip expanded into a 

 large, flat, ciliated process of oval shape (figs. 26 — 29, c. p.) 

 Delicate waving cilia are set round the edge of the funnel and 

 its process (figs. 26 and 27, ex. ci.) ; on the lower or inner 

 surface of the flat process alone arise numerous long cilia, 

 forming a flame-like structure with its free end pointing into 

 the canal (figs. 26, 27, and 29, fl.). These long cilia beat 

 together with a peculiar quick motion, forming rapidly moving 

 undulations which, starting from the rim of the process and 

 travelling towards the tip of the flame, give the whole struc- 

 ture, with its transverse waves, somewhat the appearance of a 

 tenuis racket with its cross strings. The nephridiostome is 

 formed of two cells with oval nuclei (fig. 29, n.f.) ; the rest of 

 the organ consists of a mass of cells with roundish nuclei, and 

 without distinct cell-outlines, pierced through and through by 

 the delicate nephridial canal (fig. 30). Except for the few short 

 blind diverticula given off, especially from that part of the canal 

 which leads to the exterior (fig. 25, c. cxt.), it does not branch, 



