460 



Mr. II . A. Ray lis on a 



and structureless, but stains deeply with eosin. It is some- 

 what opaque, and of a tough consistency, but becomes 

 softened in caustic potash ; hence, it seems to me, there is 

 reason to think that it is not chitinous. The contents 

 of this upper portion of the spermatophore consist mainly of 

 a spherical mass (fig. 6, G.) of a peculiar refractive substance, 

 which, in the spirit-specimens at least, is extremely hard 

 and brittle. It is composed of numerous granular masses 

 closely pressed together, which can, however, without much 

 difficulty be separated. In general appearance the substance 

 of this mass is not unlike the yolk of an egg. Its separable 



Fig. 6. 



A complete spermatophore, viewed as a transparent object. Cap., npj <r 

 capsule; G., solid mass of granular substance ; Sp., spermato- 

 zoa contained in lumen of lower portion; T., rim of trumpet- 

 shaped tube. 



block-like constituents may have been formed as fluid or 

 semifluid globules, and have assumed their present irregular 

 shapes under pressure, the whole mass having become hard 

 and solid as the result of fixation. 



In the case of D. austeni Beddard has described a very 

 similar spherical capsule, the wall of which is supposed to be 

 chitinous and to be secreted by the columnar cells in the 

 blind terminal sac of the spermatheca. But this capsule is 

 said to be full of sperm, and there is no reference to the 



