136 VERANY AND VOGT ON THE HECTOCOTYLI 



tubes ought then to be poured into the space formed by this funnel, 

 which is nothing more than the continuation of the special enve- 

 lope of the testicle. The seminal masses would, by means of this 

 funnel, pass freely into the bottom of the cornu, if there were not 

 a very narrow deferent canal (PI. III. fig. 5 ri), which is affixed 

 to the funnel like a tube, and projects freely into the cavity of 

 the cornu. Merely looking at the cornu, this canal may be seen 

 applied to its dorsal surface; it is about 3 millimetres long; 

 and even without opening the cornu, it is easy to convince one- 

 self with a lens that its free extremity floats in the cavity of the 

 cornu. This canal is extremely contractile and mobile, and has 

 almost continually during life a vermicular motion. The struc- 

 ture of the canal is very simple : it is a muscular tube, with its 

 longitudinal fibres especially developed, united into bundles and 

 so forming slightly projecting ridges upon the internal surface 

 of the canal. The orifice of the canal resembles the mouth of a 

 hydroid polype, in consequence of these radiating ridges. The 

 whole internal surface of the canal is covered with cilia of such 

 large size, that the single ones can be distinguished with a 

 magnifying power of 100 diameters, whilst the movement itself 

 and the current produced by it are very distinctly visible by the 

 very lowest powers. It is evident, from the disposition and 

 structure of this efferent canal, that the seminal mass, entering 

 the funnel in consequence of the rupture of the seminal tubes, 

 is received by the efferent canal, and conducted by the latter 

 into the cavity of the cornu, which thus in some respects serves 

 as a seminal reservoir. 



The structure of the cornu itself is very complicated, and we 

 should have had considerable doubt as to certain points of its 

 anatomy, if chance had not given into our hands many living 

 animals in succession, upon which we were enabled to complete 

 our researches. We have already mentioned the white and 

 coiled thread which is visible across the transparent parietes 

 of the cornu ; this coil is constantly in motion, as well in con- 

 sequence of its own contractions as of those of the investment 

 of the cornu, w r hich is very solid and is formed by muscular 

 fibres interlaced in all directions. The coil is laid bare when 

 this contractile envelope is cut open : it swims, so to speak, in a 

 viscous liquid which fills all the cornu, and which glues together 



