1856.] MR. F. E. BEDDARD ON A LARGE EARTHWORM. 171 
(d), which is a single tube, and not composed of two separate or 
incompletely fused halves as in A. multiporus* and other Earthworms, 
communicates with the ventral vessel by seven transverse hearts (/) 
situated in segments 8-14 inclusive—a pair to each segment. The 
first three pairs are of less calibre than the following four, and appear 
to arise simply from the dorsal vessel; the four posterior pairs of 
hearts communicate also with a small supra-intestinal vessel, which, 
as shown in the figure (sz), lies beneath the dorsal vessel but above 
the intestine ; in the anterior part of the body a pair of lateral vessels 
(/) supply the body-wall; in the 11th or 12th segment these vessels 
pass beneath the intestine and unite to form a single subintestinal 
vessel. This vessel appears to be continuous posteriorly with a 
vascular space within the walls of the alimentary canal. Each of 
the two anterior pairs of hearts supplies the spermatheca of its 
own segment; a strong branch arises from the vessel just before 
it unites with the ventral vessel, and a corresponding branch from the 
latter is also distributed to the spermatheca. 
Body-cavity.—The body-cavity, as in all other Earthworms, is 
divided into segments by mesenteries which extend from side to side 
of the body ; in the six anterior segments the mesenteries are more 
or less distinct, but there are in addition a number of muscular 
bands and tendinous-looking threads which bend the pharynx down 
to the body-wall, often passing through the mesenteries on their 
way; the gizzard and a portion of the anterior region of the 
cesophagus are only attached to the body-wall by a very few slight 
threads, mesenteries being absent in this region of the body. The 
mesentery which bounds the tenth segment behind and the succeeding 
four mesentries are specially thickened and muscular. 
Nephridia.—TYhere is a very considerable variation in the cha- 
racters of the nephridia in this genus, and I have already* referred 
to what has been written on the subject. In the present species 
the nephridia (fig. 6, 2) are very conspicucus, especially in the anterior 
region of the body as far back as the 19th segment or thereabouts ; 
in the posterior segments they are present but appear to differ 
slightly, principally in size, from the anteriorly placed nephridia. 
The external apertures are plainly visible in front of the dorsal pair 
of setz in all the seta-bearing segments of the body ; that is to say, 
the first segment of the body appears to be without nephridia and 
cnly this segment. The glandular portion of the nephridium forms 
a closely packed tuft of tubules which has much the appearance 
of the nepbridia in those species of Pericheta* in which these 
organs have been described ; this glandular tuft lies in the region 
of the ventral pair of setze and close to the mesentery which forms 
the anterior wall of its segment ; the nephridium communicates with 
the exterior by a long, widish, thin-walled duct. 
bord 
1 See F. E. Beddard “On the paired Dorsal Vessel of certain Earthworms.” 
Proc. Roy. Phys. Soc. 1884-5, p. 424. 
2 P. Z.S. 1885, p. 822. 
* E. g. Pericheta indica, Horst, Niederl. Arch. f. Zool. Bd. iv. (1879), 
pl. viii. fig. 3, x. 
12* 
