Reproductive Organs o/'Plireoiyctes. 393 



tioeJve and thirteen^ and thirteen and fourteen. I have myselt 

 recorded the occasional presence of two pairs of oviducts in 

 Perionyx {loc. cit.)^ where, however, it is a very rare occur- 

 rence. It is I think a fair assumption that the one specimen 

 of Phreoryctes at mj disposal exhibits the normal charac- 

 teristics of the genus. 



The oviducal funnels resemble in every particular, except 

 that they are a little smaller, the funnels of the vasa defe- 

 rentia, and they occupy a corresponding position in segments 

 twelve and thirteen. Each funnel is connected with a tube 

 whose structure is identical with that of the vas deferens ; 

 this tube is, comparatively speaking, of some length, and 

 jDasses closely adherent to the opposite side of the septum to 

 that which bears the funnel to its point of opening, whicli is 

 upon the intersegmental furrow. 



The position of the oviducal pores, behind the male pores, 

 agrees with that of Lumbriculida^, as does also their position 

 upon the intersegmental furrow. 



The close agreement between the ducts as well as the glands 

 of the male and female reproductive systems in Phreoryctes is 

 more apparent than in any otlier Oligochseta ; it is probably 

 to be looked upon as an indication that the reproductive 

 system of this Annelid is in an archaic condition. The ovaries 

 and testes correspond in number as well as in their other 

 particulars whicli Phreoryctes shares with the remaining 

 genera of Oligochgeta. The oviducts and vasa deferentia 

 approximate more closely than in any other genus ; they only 

 just show indications of differentiation. 



Spermathecce. — There are two pairs of these organs ; the 

 anterior pair lie in segment seven, the second pair in segment 

 eight ; each spermatheca is a somewhat pyriform pouch lined 

 with a columnar epithelium having a glandular appearance ; 

 the apertures of the spermathecee are on the anterior border of 

 their segment between the dorsal and ventral pairs of setee. 

 The spermatheca^ are not furnished with diverticula of any 

 kind. Leydig and Timni describe three pairs of spermathecie 

 in P. Menkeanus situated in segments seven, eight, and nine j 

 these are said to be distinguished by their extraordinarily 

 thick and muscular walls. They are certainly not so in my 

 species. 



It will be clear from the foregoing description that the 

 worm belongs to a distinct species, for which I propose the 

 name of Phreoryctes Smithii *, and it may ultimately prove to 

 be a distinct generic type. In favour of this view is the 



* Named after Mr. W. Smith, of Ashburton, New Zealand. 



