58 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL IVIUSEUM vol. los 



specimen. The external order of the spermathecal pores, which are 

 located by pairs just posterior to the intersegmental furrows 6/7, 7/8, 

 and 8/9 on either side of the ventral midline, is constant regardless of 

 internal conditions (fig. 4,a). Michaelsen (1895) noted only two 

 pairs of spermathecae in the type from Hupei Province, but in 1899 

 he redescribed the specimen as possessing three pairs. No variation 

 in the spermathecal number has been described by other investigators. 



Septa: Only the first three septa are lacking in P. hupeiensis. 

 Septum 4/5 is extremely fine, while septa 5/6 to 8/9 are heavy and 

 muscular as are those of the genital segments, but to a lesser extent. 

 Bahl (1950) noted that in Pheretima posthuma all septa past 14/15 are 

 perforated by numerous small apertures surrounded by muscular 

 sphincters. Careful examination of the septa of P. hupeiensis failed 

 to disclose any such structures other than the septal sphincter sur- 

 rounding the ventral nerve cord foramen. 



Digestive tract: The mouth opens into a small buccal chamber 

 located in segments 1 and 2, and is fined with columnar epithelium 

 surrounded by a heavy mass of muscle. The pharynx of segments 

 3 to 5 is characterized by a dorsal mass of muscular tissue that serves 

 to compress its lumen dorsoventrally. The dorsal surface of the 

 pharynx is covered with numerous pharyngeal glands. 



The oesophagus extends from segment 5 to 16. The gizzard is 

 situated in segment 8. That Chen (1933) describes it in segments 

 8 and 9 may be a result of the fact that the gizzard gives the appear- 

 ance of extending into segment 9 because of the cone-shaped septum 

 8/9 that overlaps it for about half its length. The gizzard is sur- 

 rounded by a thick wall of circular muscle fibers and is bound inter- 

 nally by a cuticle secreted by the gut epithelium. The oesophagus 

 broadens in segment 9 and continues through segment 13 to its junction 

 with the intestine. Examination of the oesophagus indicated that in 

 P. hupeiensis calciferous glands are wanting. 



The intestine occupies the entire length of the worm beyond septum 

 13/14 to the terminal anus (fig. 4,c). A pair of simple intestmal 

 caeca appear as lateral projections of the intestinal wall in segment 27, 

 although a few cases observed had the caecum originating in segment 

 28. Those of the type are located in segment 26. 



Hearts: The paired lateral hearts are located in segments 10 to 13 

 (fig. 4,c). The hearts of segment 10 are very stout and lack commis- 

 sural connections to the supraintestinal blood sinus. The following 

 three pahs join the dorsal and ventral blood vessels and have commis- 

 sural connectives with the blood sinus of segments 11 to 13, and may 

 be termed lateral-oesophageal hearts to differentiate them from the 

 simple lateral hearts of segment 10 according to Bahl (1921). In 



