ahdoniinal jouch in Panuissius. 251 



surface of the true claspers, and thus here giving to the 

 eighth segment a length twice as great along the ventral 

 as along the dorsal region. It is beneath these "Klap- 

 pen," or false claspers, that von Siebold says the secretion 

 is poured forth; and he is certainly right, for all the 

 crevices existing between the inner surface of these 

 expansions and the outer surface of the organs beneath, 

 which it closely clasps, are often filled completely, in 

 all specimens I have examined to some extent, with 

 a coagulated secretion, which, when compared under 

 the microscope with a fragment from the pouch of the 

 female, is of essentially the same character as it. 



In S. clodias, S. viiu'Diost/iie, and other species, the 

 false claspers do not embrace the under surface of the 

 true claspers, which are thus not at all concealed on an 

 inferior view, and therefore there is in these species 

 considerable modification of the parts I am about to 

 describe, in remarks which are based wholly upon an 

 examination of P. smintJieus. 



If the eighth abdominal ring is carefully removed bit 

 by bit (which can hardly be done without rupturing some 

 of the coagulated secretion, but often leaves broad sheets 

 intact), all the accessory organs of generation are exposed 

 to view ; it will then l)e seen that the sternal portion of 

 the ninth segment (the segment to which are attached 

 the claspers proper) is split along the median line, and 

 sends two anterior shafts side by side to the hindmost 

 edge of the overlapping eighth segment. Directly 

 beneath it, beneath in the sense of towards the middle 

 line of the body, i. c, lying between the lower anterior 

 ensiform process of the ninth segment and the lower 

 surface of the true claspers, is a pair of lamellate 

 scimitar-shaped organs diverging at tip, and so closely 

 connected with the sheet of coagulated secretion, and of 

 so nearly the same colour and texture as it, as to appear 

 a part of the same. It is only when the processes of 

 the ninth segment are in their turn removed that the 

 form and structure of these parts can be made out ; it is 

 then seen that they have a membranous or tendonous 

 structure, hardly chitinous, and certainly not the same 

 as the hardened, jelly-like, structureless condition of the 

 secretion, which is continuous with their edges, and 

 permeates the crevices in the region about. By un- 

 covering the parts in front, i. e., toward the base of the 



X 2 



