1 50 MisceUaneo us. 



si<le of the body it approaches, at the first glance, the genus Brau- 

 chdlion; but by the peculiarities of its organization it differs from 

 nil known forms. "VVe shall refer particularly to the following: — 



Digestive apparatus. — The first part of the digestive tube presents 

 the characters of that of the leeches Avith a proboscis — an exsertile 

 proboscis, followed by an oesophagus with very thick muscular 

 walls, of which the lumen of the canal shows a transverse lozenge- 

 shaped section. The diameter of this organ goes on regularly in- 

 creasing as far as the level of the first segment provided with 

 branchiae. At this point it opens into a very wide iutestine with 

 thin walls, presenting seven pairs of lobes, which ramify in the 

 digitate branchial tufts borne by the segments of this region. The 

 intestine is then continued into two long eaxa, extending to the 

 hinder part of the body of the animal, between these cteca passes 

 the very slender rectum, which bears laterally four pairs ol' very 

 sinuous tubes, placed between the dorsal wall and the caeca. 



As appendages of this digestive tube, which is so remarkable for 

 its prolongations into the branchia}, we must mention some large 

 unicellular glands with finely granular contents placed on each side 

 of the oesophagus, the very long excretory ducts of which penetrate 

 into the walls of that organ, in which they ascend to a greater or 

 less distance, and finally open into the internal cavity. These are 

 the salivary glands. 



Numerous glandular cells, probably hepatic, cover the walls of 

 the lobate intestine. 



Generative organs. — The male genital apparatus consists of four 

 pairs of ovoid testes, situated in the last four segments with branchiae. 

 The epididymes, placed in the second branchiferous segment, form 

 two cellular masses, in the interior of which the deferent ducts make 

 numerous circumvolutions. These ducts, on issuing from the epi- 

 didymes, unite in the median line to form a short unpaired spermatic 

 duct, which penetrates into a large muscular sac, into which the 

 very large penis can enter. The male aperture is situated in the 

 eighth segment, or that which precedes tlie branchiferous segments. 

 The female apparatus is formed by two very long i)yriform 

 ovaries and two slender oviducts opening into a very small matrix ; 

 the female aperture is situated in the ninth segment. 



Circidatory apparatKS.- — The circulatoiy. like the digestive appa- 

 ratus, presents some remarkable peculiarities. The dorsal vessel 

 furnished with sacs of the proboscis-bearing leeches does not exist. 

 'J'here are instead tMo pairs of lateral vessels, superposed, which 

 send forth ramifications into the branchial tufts. In the digitations 

 of these branehia) these ramifications are placed in communication 

 with each other by numerous transverse circular canals. 



The superior lateral vessels, which we may regard as arterial, 

 communicate with each other in each segment by an annular vessel 

 which sends forth fine ramifications to the surface of the skin. 

 Anteriorly these two vessels unite a little above the eyes, and emit, in 

 front and into the thickness of the tissues, branches which unite with 

 others, emitted bj^ an anterior ring proceeding from the ventral vessel. 

 At the posterior i)art ot the body oi' the animal these two lateral 



