488 Miscellaneous. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
On the Anatomy of certain Agnrathous Pulmonate Mollusks. 
To the Editors of the ‘Annals and Magazine of Natural History.’ 
GrntLEMEN,—In the ‘ Annals’ for January 1901 isapaper by Mr. W.E. 
Collinge with the above title. The author says “ he is unable to con- 
firm many of my statements ” published in the ‘ Proceedings of the 
Malacological Society of London,’ vol. i. (1893). I think, however, 
two errors into which I was led can be explained. The drawings 
on pl. i. figs. 10 & 12 represent parts magnified, and drawn, with 
the aid of a camera lucida, as presented to me. The vas deferens 
joined the penis where I have shown it, and is free from that 
point ; so far that drawing is not incorrect, for there was nothing to 
indicate that it continued, hidden by tissue, to the distal end of 
the penis*. The specimen is in the Natural History Museum ; 
with more material and in better condition I might possibly have 
detected what Mr. Collinge was enabled to do, Next, as to 
the “ knob-like process” and “ nipple-like crenulations”: here I was 
certainly deceived by appearances caused by myself during dissection, 
On slitting up the more open part of the penis-tube as far as it was 
possible, and turning back the severed sides, a solid end was pre- 
sented (fig. 12), and the nipple-like crenulations I saw were, no 
doubt, I think now, nothing more than the broken ends of the 
rugose lining of the organ meeting together where the tube became 
closely contracted, This certainly did not strike me at the time, 
and it is evident they have no structural existence as papillate 
growths round a central main papillay. It is satisfactory to find 
these points of detail more clearly iia by Mr. Collinge: the only 
way in which science can advance is to frankly compare and criticize 
one another’s results. We are all liable to make mistakes—more 
liable to make false deductions—and the sooner they are put right 
the better. I must, however, take exception to the following sen- 
tence :—‘ On the supposition that the vas deferens in this species 
was very short &¢., Godwin-Austen proposed to place the genera 
Par yphanta, Alea, and Schizoglossa in a new subfamily.” This is 
not exactly what it said. I did not single out any particular or 
or specify any minor details of the anatomy. I came to my con- 
clusion on the broad grounds of general structure of an Agnathous 
group, and more particularly mentioned the more or less perfect 
shell-bearing and slug-like species occurring in the families and 
subfamilies referred to. 
Yours &c¢., 
Nore, Godalming, H,. H. Gopwin-Ac-- 
15th April, 1901, 
* This is a character in itself. 
+ Nothing at all like this, in fact, is found which my drawing would 
indicate, 
