160 



MR. F. E. BEDDARD ON A 



[Feb. 15, 



Nephridia. — The nepliridia appear to be present in all the 

 segments of the body with the exception of the first ; they are 

 differentiated into three series. 



(1) The first series consists of only one pair of nephridia ; these 

 differ from those which follow in their structure and in tlieir posi- 

 tion. They lie beneath the oesophagus and are completely hidden 

 by it ; each gland consists of a flattened mass of glandular tubules, 

 produced by the coil, which has the ordinary structure characteristic 



Fig. 5. 



One of the Anterior Nej)bridia. 



0, external aperture; f, funnel opening on to the other side of the 

 intersegmental septum s ; d, glandular Tcsicle. 



of nephridial tubules, except that the coils are more numerous. The 

 tubule opens into a stout-walled muscirlar duct, distinguishable by 

 its yellowish colour, which passes anteriorly in a somewhat sinuous 

 course and opens on to the second segment of the body. These 

 glands evidently correspond to the " glandes a mucosite " described 

 by Perrier in Urochceta^, and by myself in AcanthodrilusmuJtiporus-, 

 The funnel was very conspicuous in tiansverse sections. This pair 

 of nephridia differs less from the succeeding pairs than in many 

 other genera. The specialization of this first pair of nephridia. 



1 Arch, de Zool. Exp. t. iii. 



s P. Z. S. 1885. 



