80 



into the seminal receptacle at a point a little posterior to 

 the cross connection of the H. The eggs are produced in the 

 wall of this tuhe and when mature are set free in the lumen. 



The seminal receptacle is composed of two parts, a 

 glandular portion (Pigs. 121 and 122, g.) into which the ovary 

 opens and a portion lined with chitin (Figs. 121 and 122, c.) 

 from which the oviduct leads to the third segment of the 

 sternum. The speraatophores are stored in the latter division. 

 The cavities of the two portions communicate through a large 

 opening (Fig. 121,0.) in the chitinous lining. Just before 

 the crab molts the glandular portion secretes a mass of 

 gelatinous material which greatly distends it (Fig. 122) and 

 the spermatophores are "by some means transferred to this part 

 of the receptacle where they lie in the mass of jelly. This 

 prevents them from "being lost at the time of molting when the 

 chitinous lining is shed. Whether they are returned to this 

 part of the receptacle after the molting has not been deter- 

 mined. The glandular part of the receptacle is rapidly re- 

 duced after the shell is shed, but I do not know what becomes 

 of the secretion. During spawning the glandular portion is 

 very much contracted (Fig. 121) so that it is little more than 

 a tube connecting the ovary with the chitinous receptacle. 

 There is one possibility which may be mentioned here and that 

 is that the glandular receptacle may secret a semi-fluid sub- 

 stance and then by contracting force the sperms Intoithe lumen 

 of the ovary Just before spawning begins. Asni I shall show 

 later the sperms are transferred to the ovary. This however 

 is only a conjecture as to the method of the transfer. The 



