702 EDWIN S. GOODRICH. 



no other organ is related to the nephridium ; but passing 

 backwards we find in immature specimens deep pouches of 

 the septa open in front, and ending blindly behind, a right 

 and a left pouch in every segment. These are the incom- 

 pletely developed genital funnels. 



In Vanadis formosa the funnel is almost tubular in 

 shape, its inner wall is formed of thick columnar epithelium, 

 with short cilia not fully developed (fig. 1). The lip of the 

 opening is continuous all round with the coelomic epithelium, 

 into which it gradually passes. 



When the worm reaches sexual maturity (as in the Alciope 

 represented in figs. 8 and 51) the funnels become enlarged 

 and thin-walled, the lip round the mouth specially differen- 

 tiated, thickened, and strongly ciliated, whilst the posterior 

 end fuses with and finally opens into the nephridial duct 

 about halfway down its course, at a point marked by a bend 

 in the immature condition (fig. 1). 



Such large saccular genital funnels are developed in con- 

 nection with each right and left nephridium in both sexes 

 throughout the greater length of the body in all the Al- 

 ciopids I have examined. The shape of the funnel vai'ies 

 slightly in the three genera studied, being elongated in 

 Yanadis, somewhat pear-shaped in Alciope (fig. 8), and more 

 rounded in Asterope. 



In a young specimen of Alciope Krohnii I was able to 

 follow the development of the genital funnel in the anterior 

 segments. In the eleventh segment (fig. 6) it was still re- 

 presented by a mere concave patch of thickened ciliated 

 coelomic epithelium on the anterior surface of the septum, 

 quite near the nephridium. Passing backwards, this rudi- 

 ment was seen to increase in size, and become more concave 

 in succeeding segments. In segment seventeen (fig. 7) it 

 had already acquired the essential structure of the adult 

 organ, excepting, of course, the opening into the nephi'idium, 

 which is only formed when the genital products are ripe 

 enough to be allowed to pass to the exterior. Fig. 8 repre- 

 sents a longitudinal section through a ripe male Alciope 



