THE CCELOMIC FLUID IN AOANTHODRJLIDS. 567 



region of the gut by way of the peptonephridia — which are 

 known to be provided with funnels in the young (Beddard, 2), 

 though these structures have not been recognised in the adult 

 — remains to be discovered ; the alternative is a rupture of 

 the buccal wall. 



If the surface of the worm be touched with corrosive 

 sublimate, or if an incision be made in the tense wall, the 

 discharge of the white milky fluid from the dorsal pores at 

 once becomes active. In tlie latter case the discharge only 

 takes place from a few pores in the immediate neighbourhood 

 of the incision. 



This fluid is opaque-white, resembling cream in appear- 

 ance ; it has a varying consistency, but general!}^ that of a 

 thick gum-mucilage or clotted cream. It does not " flow " 

 from an incision over the surface of the body, but spreads 

 slowly over it. So, too, Avhen a drop is placed upon a glass 

 slip, it seems to "set " at once, forming a mass of sufficient 

 consistency to suj)port the cover-slip, for it does not — as the 

 fluid of Lumbricus does — flow over the slide to form an even 

 sheet. This property necessarily makes the passage of 

 reagents somewhat difficult, but the use of normal salt 

 solution obviates this. 



The fluid discharged into a dish soon "coagulates" to 

 form a dirty white sticky and slimy sheet. 



In the case of Acanthodrilus annectens (Beddard), 

 the slightest handling of the worm leads to a very copious 

 discharge of the ccelomic fluid through the dorsal pores. 

 The fluid is cream coloui-ed when fresh, and of the consist- 

 ency of a thick gum solution ; it very soon becomes firm, and 

 in a few minutes hardens to form a pale yellow chalky mass. 

 It is so tenacious that it clogs scissors, sticks the fingers 

 together, forms a cake on the scalpel, and, in fact, is quite 

 unpleasant to deal with. Its great density renders the 

 examination of its micro-chemical reactions even more 

 difficult than in Octochastus, especially as normal salt 

 solution does not readily mix with it. The plasma coagu- 

 lates almost at once, and forms a clot, through which fluids 



