Notes on the Anatomy of the Myriapoda. 377 



chiefly, no doubt, owing to the fact that only badly-preserved 

 spirit specimens have been examined. In Acanthodrilus 

 capensis the ovaries are in the 12th segment attached to its 

 front wall; they are conspicuous in fully-mature animals 

 from the contained ova, which are comparatively large and 

 very opaque. Examined under the microscope the ovary 

 presents the appearance of a compound tubular gland, certain 

 of the cells becoming enlarged and forming the ova. The 

 oviducts open into the 12th segment by a broad ciliated 

 funnel, which has exactly the appearance of that of Ponto- 

 drilus, figured by Perrier. The duct perforates the mesen- 

 tery, and opens on to the exterior of the body in the 13th 

 segment just in front of the innermost seta. 



Alimentary Canal. — The pharynx occupies about the four 

 anterior segments of the body ; it is somewhat pear-shaped, 

 and terminates in an abruptly truncated posterior margin. 

 A short oesophagus leads from this to the gizzard, and a tube 

 of the same calibre as the oesophagus extends back to about 

 the 16th or 17th segment, where it abruptly widens into the 

 " intestine." The latter is unprovided with cceca or glands 

 of any description, but is clothed with a dense covering of 

 cells, which gives it an opaque yellow colour. 



XXX. Notes on the Anato^ny of the Myriapoda. By T. D. 

 Gibson-Carmichael, Esq. 



(Read 20th December 1883.) 



I propose to submit to you a series of papers, of which 

 this is the first, dealing with the anatomy of the Myriapoda. 

 I intend beginning with the digestive system, and this paper 

 is confined to that of a few of the Chilopoda. The excellent 

 paper of Mr F. Plateau, " sur les phenomenes de la digestion 

 chez les Myriapodes," in the forty-second volume of the 

 Memoirs of the Royal Aeademy of Belgium, furnished us with 

 such a clear account of both the anatomy and physiology of 

 these organs, that it may seem unnecessary for me to write 

 more on the subject. But as I wished to verify all that 



