LAWSON, ON LIMAX MAXIMUS. 33 
ligamentous filaments of connective tissue. When separated 
from its attachments, it is a little more than 2! inches 
in length; whilst in calibre, at its widest point, and even 
when undistended by ova, it reaches + inch in fully developed 
specimens. Structurally, it possesses all the features of in- 
elastic connective tissue, with a few nucleated fibres, which 
have the aspect of involuntary muscle. It is contracted 
anteriorly and infundibuliform, and is continued as a strong, 
straight, white duct, about + inch long and -4, inch wide, 
which I term the vagina, and this, in its turn, opens 
into an expansion of the cloaca, for which I would propose the 
name of egg-sac, and of which I shall speak presently. The 
male section of the generative organs includes the testis, 
with the vas deferens and penis, which latter are virtually 
one and the same organ. The sperm-forming gland is 
a simple and prolonged structure, being constituted of 
a repetition of similar parts, each of which follows the 
follicular type; it is commonly of a whitish-yellow colour, 
and from this circumstance may at once be distinguished 
from the uterus, which otherwise, to a careless observer, 
might seem to be part and parcel of it. Being strongly united 
to the shortened border of the uterus, it has the same rela- 
tions and position as that vessel, and is of the same length, 
but in breadth is not more than =, inch at its widest 
part. It consists of a narrow duct—cecal at its posterior 
extremity, which lies against the albumen-gland, and free 
in front, where it is continued as vas deferens—to one side* 
of which is attached a collection of follicles, which secrete 
the sperm, and pour their contents into the common ex- 
eretory duct. Each follicle is of an ovato-lanceolate out- 
line, the apex pointing outwards, and from its surface nu- 
merous papillary elevations rise, which I fancy are lesser fol- 
licles, thus giving to the whole gland a higher position as re- 
gards organization than that of Helix ; indeed, it is remarkable 
that two animals so very closely related zoologically should 
exhibit such well-defined differences in the minute structure 
of their glandular mechanisms. Here, however, as in the 
snail, I observed, on compressing a portion of a follicle, very 
many squamose, oval endoplasts, occasionally nucleated ; the 
testicular duct leaves the uterus as this passes into the vagina, 
and is now called the vas deferens. This channel, I should 
think, has been incorrectly designated ; for although in other 
molluscs it is easy to trace the point of union between it and 
* This affords a marked contrast with the same organ in Helix, in which 
a double row of follicles is found (vide ‘Dub. Quart. Journ. of Science,’ 
April, 1861). 
VOL. III.—NEW SER. Cc 
