THE HETEROPOD MOLLUSKS. 271 



the tongue or radula has highly characteristic teeth, which 

 serve these rapacious animals to seize their prey. The in- 

 testine runs straight back from the mouth, and after mak- 

 ing one or two coils ends in the vent. The excretory organs 

 open near the anus; the contractile tube opens internally 

 into the pericardial cavity, and resembles in form and posi- 

 tion the excretory organ of the Pteropoda. The circula- 

 tion is imperfect, the blood passing from the wide sinuses 

 of the body to the ventricle of the heart. From the auricle 

 springs the aorta, which subdivides into several branches 

 that open freely into the body-cavity. The circulation can be 

 easily watched, owing to the transparency of the body. The 

 aeration of the blood is effected partly through the skin, 

 partly through gills, except in a few species. The branchiae 

 are either thread- or leaf-like ciliated appendages, which 

 may either be free or enclosed in the mantle-cavity. The 

 sexes are distinct. The males can be readily recognized by 

 the large copulatory organ, which hangs free on the right 

 side of the body. The sexual glands fill the posterior por- 

 tion of the visceral cavity, and are partly imbedded in the 

 liver. The oviduct is complicated by the presence of an 

 albumen gland and a receptaculum seminis. It opens on 

 the right side of the body. 



The Heteropods are exclusively marine, but are found in 

 all quarters of the world. The number of species is small, 

 and there are two orders only the Pterotraclieidce with a 

 small or no shell and free gills, and the Atlantidce with a 

 large coiled shell and gills placed in the mantle. Ptero- 

 trachea (Firola) coronata Forsk. is found in the Mediter- 

 ranean, and on account of its transparency has often been 

 investigated. The Heteropoda live together in large num- 

 bers, and feed on small animals. 



The eggs are laid in cylindrical strings, which soon break 

 up into numerous pieces. The segmentation of the yolk is 

 complete but irregular. The embryo rotates within the egg 

 during the veliger stage, when it has two distinct sails, or 

 lobes of the velum, and a ciliated foot with an operculum. 

 In this form it leaves the egg. The velum enlarges and 

 forms several divisions. The otocysts, eyes, and tentacles are 



