60 EDWIN S. GOODRICH. 
On the Spermatheca of Enchytreids. 
In 1885 (9) Dr. Michaelsen first made known the remarkable 
discovery that the spermatheca in the Enchytreidz, which lies 
in the 5th segment, communicates directly with the alimen- 
tary canal. More recently Mr. Beddard (1) has shown that 
the same thing occurs in Sutroa, and he discusses the subject 
in the monograph already mentioned (2, pp. 127-8). As such 
a case of the direct communication of the cavity of the ceso- 
phagus with the exterior by means of a sac invaginated from 
or derived from the epidermis‘is unknown in any other group 
of Invertebrates, and is of great morphological interest, I give 
a series of longitudinal and transverse sections through these 
organs. Fig. 27 represents a longitudinal horizontal section 
through the 5th segment of Marionia enchytreoides 
St. Loup.! 
As the section is slightly oblique it shows on one side the 
opening of the spermatheca to the exterior (sp. op.), and on the 
other the opening into the alimentary canal (éné. op.). In 
Pachydrilus, and forms closely allied to it, such as Marionia, 
the spermatheca is simple, and opens into the cesophagus at 
its hinder extremity. The spermatheca figured contains no 
spermatozoa, showing that the internal opening is formed 
before the spermatozoa are received, and the point at which 
the fusion has taken place between the two organs can be 
detected, since the lining of the csophagus is ciliated (cs.), 
while that of the spermatheca is not (sp.). 
In Enchytreus hortensis the spermatheca fuses with 
and opens into the esophagus at a point more nearly opposite 
its external opening, sending backwards a large blind sac in 
which are lodged the bulk of the spermatozoa. 
It will be seen that the communication between the sperma- 
theca and the alimentary canal is very wide (figs. 21 and 25, 
and the diagram, fig. 23); the external spermathecal pore 
remains of normal size (sp. op.). The spermatozoa (spiz., figs. 
1 Professor Marion kindly sent me a number of these worms from Mar- 
seilles. 
