Anatomy of the Male Genital Title in Coleoptera. 609 



IV. FUNCTION. 



Although a knowledge of the functions of the different 

 parts of the male genitalia is essential to a comprehen- 

 sion of our subject, yet knowledge is at present so little 

 advanced that we can here offer to the student only a 

 general statement and a few suggestions. 



The matter for the starting of a new generation is pre- 

 pared in the centres of the bodies of two separate individ- 

 uals, and it is necessary that the two essences should be 

 brought together. This of course is effected in the 

 Insecta by copula. During the copula an unobstructed 

 road must exist. This is the genital conduit, and is 

 formed in part by the genital tube of the male and in part 

 by the genital tube of the female. These structures of two 

 different individuals form functionally a single organ. The 

 sex structures are unique in this respect. And they are 

 not correlative with the life of the individuals, but with 

 the life of the generations. 



The importance of a correlative knowledge of the genital 

 tube of the female is absolute, but from the point of view 

 we take there is but little information. 



The female Coleopteron is usually (possibly always) 

 provided with a spermatheca — a special vessel for the 

 reception of the matter transmitted along the male genital 

 tube. It would appear that this spermatheca is generally 

 placed near the base of the azygotic portion of the female 

 genital tube. 



The male structures are therefore directed to the object 

 of placing the sperm in the spermatheca. The first 

 question that arises is as to whether this is accomplished 

 directly or indirectly. Must the sperm be deposited 

 directly in the spermatheca ? Or is it sufficient that it be 

 placed in some other part of the female tube ? 



No positive answer can be given to this question at 

 present. It appears from the vague remarks that one 

 finds in literature that the general idea is that the placing 

 of the sperm in any portion of the female tube is adequate. 

 The opinion we ourselves entertain is, however, the reverse 

 of this. We incline to the view that in a large number of 

 cases, the male structures actually place the sperm in the 

 spermatheca, however remote that structure may be from 

 the orifice of the genital tube of the female. The flagellum 



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