148 BRITISH ENTOMOSTRAOA. 



They are curved upwards and backwards, and are always 

 contained within the shell, never being extended. Their use, 

 according to Straus, is to support the ovaries.* The pos- 

 tei'ior portion of the body or abdomen (t. XVIII, f. li) 

 is conical-shaped, terminating in two lengthened stalks, 

 each of which gives off at the extremity two short hooks, 

 with a third implanted on the upper edge, a little above 

 them. This abdominal portion of the body is unattached, 

 and possesses much freedom of motion, the animal ex- 

 truding it from the shell at pleasure. One great use of 

 it seems to be to clean the interior part of the shell, which 

 its length and mobility fit it well for ; but Straus asserts 

 that the object of this organ is for depositing the eggs. 

 The anatomy of the internal parts of the body is more 

 difficult to make out distinctly. 



The alimentary canal, according to Straus, consists of 

 a short, narrow oesophagus, a large oblong stomach, occu- 

 pying the whole of the dorsal region of the body, and a 

 simple intestine nearly as large as the stomach, becoming 

 narrower towards the posterior extremity, and opening 

 by an anus between the two stylets which form the tail. 

 The ovaries are two large, simple, conical vessels, placed 

 externally upon the posterior portion of the body, and 

 open one at the side of the other into the anterior part of the 

 extremity of the abdomen, where they communicate with 

 the canal formed by the tail or abdomen. There is another 

 organ, the use of which is not so well ascertained. It is 

 a large and conical mass, situate above the articulation of 

 the mandibles, of a granulated structure apparently, and 

 of a light colour. Straus says, that as he could not see 

 exactly its termination, he is ignorant of its use, but sup- 

 poses that it must be either the salivary glands, or the 

 testicle. 



The heart and nervous system have as yet escaped 

 observation. The animals of this family are all inhabitants 



* Jurine considers them as somewhat comiected with the matrix, but 

 says lie is ignorant of tlieir use. The figure which he gives of them is very 

 incorrect. 



