62 EDWIN S8. GOODRICH. 
Notes on the Action of Chemical Reagents on the 
Celomic Corpuscles of Enchytreus hortensis 
and Vermiculus pilosus.} 
In a former paper I described the characteristic coelomic 
corpuscles of Vermiculus pilosus (8, fig. 28, pl. 28); they 
are spherical cells, filled with large oval refringent granules. 
If these be watched under the high power of the microscope 
in distilled water, or even in normal salt solution, the large 
white granules will be seen to dissolve, whilst minute and 
yellower-looking granules come into view.? Under the in- 
fluence of weak alcohol, a solution of iodine, very weak acids, 
or alkalies the same thing occurs. With osmic acid (1 per 
cent.) the dissolution of the large granules takes place with 
almost explosive rapidity, the small granules in this, as in the 
other cases, remaining sharply defined. Whether the smaller 
granules are hidden by the larger, and only become visible 
when these have been dissolved, or whether they remain as an 
actual residue from the large granules, is a point difficult to 
settle. I feel convinced from appearances observed that the 
large granules really include the smaller. 
It is difficult, if not impossible, to permanently fix the large 
granules. Sometimes they could be fixed for a time by a 
sudden drenching with absolute alcohol, and they would then 
be unaffected by ether. 
The small highly refringent granules, which remain when 
the large have disappeared, are insoluble in water, iodine solu- 
tion, alcohol, and ether. They are soluble in a solution of 
caustic potash, the mineral acids, in oxalic acid, and with 
difficulty in acetic acid. 
1 T am indebted to Professor Gotch for many useful hints while conducting 
these experiments. 
2 The difficulty of conducting chemical experiments on small bodies which 
have to be watched under the high power is very great, and often renders the 
result uncertain. I have, therefore, always repeated the experiments many 
times over, and used strong solutions of the reagents (unless otherwise 
stated). 
