ISEW GENERA AND SPECIES OF EAliTHWORMS. 276 



the exit of any contents of the posterior section of the sac, but 

 spermatozoa could seemingly pass up from the external orifice. 

 The spermatothecal sac, however, contained no spermatozoa 

 and no ova. From the dilated sac above referred to as com- 

 municating with the spermatothecal sac (called by Michaelsen 

 " Eitrichterblase ") arises a somewhat narrow tube which 

 passes over the oesophagus and unites with its fellow of the 

 opposite side of the body. I followed the course of these 

 tubes with great care in a complete series of longitudinal sec- 

 tions, for I thought at first that they might open into the 

 intestine, as Rosa has shown for Paradrilus Rosae;^ there 

 was, however, no such connection. 



This perioesophageal sac contained a few ova. The egg-sacs 

 (receptacula ovorum) lie in the usual position ; they communi- 

 cate by a short duct with the ovarian chamber ; into them 

 also opens the oviduct by a narrow aperture. The ripe ova 

 are enclosed in a stoutish membrane, in which I did not 

 observe any striations. The oviduct of each side opens on to 

 the exterior upon the 14tli segment. A little way in front of 

 the external pore the oviduct gives off a short caecum, which is 

 enclosed in the same muscular sheath with the oviduct. I 

 believe that this caecum is not to be compared with a diver- 

 ticulum of the ampulla of the ovarian tube figured by both 

 Rosa and Michaelsen ; for the oviduct has of course nothing 

 to do developmentally with the series of coelomic pouches 

 which constitute the egg passages. I am not, however, in a 

 position to suggest with what it is homologous. 



The female reproductive organs of this Eudrilid are not 

 exactly like those of any other species at present known; it 

 approaches most nearly to Hyperiodrilus and to Para- 

 drilus. It differs from the former and agrees with the latter 

 genus in having no true spermatotheca, but only a coelomic 

 pouch discharging those functions which in other earthworms 

 are performed by spermatothecae. In Metadrilus, Stuhl- 

 mannia, and Hyperiodrilus the gut is surrounded by a 



1 "Die exotichen Terricoleu des k. k. uat. Museums," ' Ann. nat. Hof- 

 mus.,' vij p. 389. 



