new African Earthworm. 455 



groups of sense-cells, and figured by Vejdovsky * in the case 

 of his " Dendrobana rubida." 



The '' nephridial lobes," to which reference has already 

 been made, consist of loops of the ciliated nephridial duets 

 and their accompanying blood-vessels, surrounded by a loose 

 spongy mass of glandular cells, among which arc scattered, 

 usually in clumps, numerous small globules of some 

 yellowish-brown substance. They thus seem, on the whole, 

 to resemble the "tufts" of tubules, surrounded by aggrega- 

 tions of peritoneal cells, described by Beddard | i» the allied 

 form Dichoy aster damonis. 



It will be ecu from the foregoing account that the 

 nephridia in this species, though clearly to be included in 

 the category of "diffuse" nephridia, are arranged on a plan 

 which differs somewhat from the usual type. The appear- 

 ance of pairing in the nephridial organs of each segment 

 may, of course, be secondary, but it is suggestive of an 

 intermediate Condition between the strictly paired and the 

 irregularly diffuse types of excretory system. There may 

 be a network of tubules connecting the nephridia of succes- 

 sive segments, but, so far as my observations have gone, it 

 seems more probable that each segment has its nephridial 

 organs distinct from those of its neighbours. 



Genital Organs. — The sperm-sacs consist of two pairs of 

 dorsal prolongations, united by a median ventral space, in 

 segments xi.-xii. The two pairs of testes and the two pairs 

 of voluminous sperm-funnels occupy their usual positions in 

 these segments. The sperm-ducts run for the greater part 

 of their length in the thickness of the body-wall. The 

 ovaries are in segment xiii. 



The spermidueal or "prostate" glands are arranged in 

 two pairs. They are large, massive, and solid organs, each 

 consisting, apparently, of a single tube much coiled, and 

 covered by a coat of peritoneum, so that the coils are not 

 visible externally. Each gland gives off a narrow duct 

 which opens close to the penial seta. The epithelium of the 

 glands consists, as in other members of the family, of several 

 layers of flask-shaped cells with very long ducts. The 

 outermost cells are often grouped together in bunches. 



There are two pairs of large spermathecse in the usual 

 position. These organs (figs. 3 & 4) have a stout muscular 

 duct (D.) and a sac which is divided by a narrow passage 



* Syst. u. Morpli. d. Oligochseten, 1834, pi. xv. fig. L3 a. 

 •f Quart. Journ. Micr. Sci. n. ser., xxix. Id89, p. 259. 



