832 MR. BEDDARD ON NEW-ZEALAND EARTHWORMS. [NoV, 3, 



result of a coagulation by the hardening reagent of a fluid or semi- 

 fluid substance ; in this were imbedded a vast number of spherical 

 concretions. The presence of these latter evidently suggests that the 

 copulatory pouch itself may act as an excretory organ ; and in view 

 of the supposed homologies between the copulatory pouch and the 

 nephridia, this fact is of some importance. 



I carefully searched for concretions in the copulatory pouches of 

 the other species, but did not succeed in finding any. 



Vejdovsky, in his recently published ' System und IMorphologie 

 der Oligochaeten,' has figured crystals and one concretionary body in 

 the copulatory pouch of Sti/laria^, but I am unacquainted with any 

 other facts comparable to those which have just been stated. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATES. 



Plate LII. 

 Fig. L Transverse section through oesophageal region of Acanfhodrilus dis- 

 similis. as, ffisophagus; ffl, calciferous glands; d.v, dorsal vessel; 

 v.v, ventral vessel ; n, nerve-cord. 



2. ffisophagus and calciferous glands {gl. gV) of A. dissimilis. 



3. Qisophagus and calciferous glands {gl) of A. multijjorus. 



4. Dorsal iiephridiuui of A. novcs selandicB. 



5. Ventral nephridium of A. nova zelanduB. 



6. Epithelium of copulatory pouch of A. dissimilis. a, Glandular cells. 



7. Superficial view of same epithelium. 



8. Epithelium of copulatory pouch of immature individual of same species. 



9. Glandular body {gl) attached to vas deferens (v.d.) oi A. dissimilis. 



Plate LIII. 



Fig. 1. Typlilosole (transverse section) of ^. mtdfipoi-us. 



2. Prostates (j>r) and modified mesenteries (/« ) of A. muUiporus. 



3. Copulatory pouches {cp) and diverticula (c.p') of A. noire gelandi<B. 



n, nephridia. 



4. Anterior end of body of ^. MJ^^/yjont^*. c, " Brain ; " rf.y, dorsal vessel ; 



n, nerve-cord ; gl, salivary gland ; d, its duct ; ph. pharynx. 



5. Opening of ducts of salivary glands (o) within buccal cavity. 



6. Portion of intestine, and paired dorsal vessj of A. nova selandicB. 

 .7. Transverse section of copulatory pouch of A. dissimilis. 



8. Copulatory pouch of ^. novts zela/idice. 



9. Copulatory pouch of A. dissimilis. 



10, Portion of diverticulum of copulatory pouch of A. dissimilis in trans- 



verse section, slightly magnified to show the bundles of spermatozoa 

 (gp) imbedded in granular substance. 



11. Transverse section of diverticulum of same species, less magnified. The 



bundles of spermatozoa which have taken up the staining fluid more 

 than the surrounding tissue, are indicated as black masses. 



PL iv. fig. 11. 



