TWO NEW SPECIES OP ON YCHOPHOllA. 505 



pe rip at US tliey are situated close to the ovarian opening of 

 the oviducts, with which they communicate. Their free end, 

 wliich was described by Gaffron in the genus Peripatus as 

 an open funnel, is closed by a thin membrane. The lining of 

 the diverticulum in the region situated close to the above- 

 mentioned membrane consists of columnar cells, which pre- 

 sent a certain amount of resemblance to the linine- cells of 

 the renal funnels communicating with the coelomic end-sac 

 of the renal organs ; but the lining of that part which opens 

 into the oviduct presents the characters possessed by the 

 lining of the latter (fig. 50). 



Willey is of opinion that the presence or absence of recep- 

 tacula ovorum is correlated with the occurrence of what he 

 describes as "epithelial ova" and '^ follicular ova" respec- 

 tively. The presence in Eoperipatus of "follicular ova " 

 as well as receptacula ovorum, proves "W^illey's suggestion to 

 be unsound. It seems, however, that there is no reason for 

 supposing that the so-called receptacula ovorum function as 

 such in Eoperipatus. It is much more probable that here, 

 as in all forms which possess follicular ova, the stalks of the 

 follicles, as Willey expresses it, represent so many secondary 

 ducts discharging into the main ovarian cavity, which iu 

 Eoperipatus is of immense size, and which plays the part 

 of the receptacula ovorum. 



There seems to be in the literature of the Peripatidie a 

 certain amount of confusion as to the exact meaning of Mr. 

 Sedgwick's suggestion of the homology of the parts under 

 consideration. Having said that Kennel distinctly states that 

 he does not regard the receptaculum ovorum as homologous 

 with the funnel of the renal organ, apparently because the 

 tliin-walled vesicle closes its free end, Mr. Sedgwick proceeds 

 to explain his view of the homology of the parts in question. 

 He draws the conclusions that the thin-walled vesicle of the 

 receptaculum ovorum is homologous with the coelomic end- 

 sac of the renal organs, and that the diverticulum — Ovarian- 

 trichter of Gaffron — is homologous with the so-called funnel 

 of the renal organs ; two conclusions which derive support 



VOL. 44, PART 4. — NEW SERIES. K K 



