MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 293 



Had Capt. Lloyd made any mention whatever of the much more 

 conspicuous "tufts," there would have been no excuse for the students. 



As these "tufts" are more conspicuous, larger, and have to be displaced 

 or dissected away before Capt. Lloyd's oesophageal glands are exposed, I 

 think the student may well object to the term " conspicuous " as used by 

 Capt. Lloyd. 



The red colour is transitory and only seen in recently killed worms. 



My student's class takes place in the cold weather when the worms have 

 been preserved in spirit for some time. 



The words " these structures are undoubtedly nephridia," used by me 

 in my critique, were not with reference to Capt. Lloyd's glands. They 

 follow immediately and obviously refer to " what Powell has described as 

 mop-shaped or compound nephridia." 



Capt. Lloyd apparently has either not seen these structures or does not 

 believe they are nephridia. He naively suspects that because some 

 fancied " Zoologist of European reputation " has said they are nephridia, 

 I blindly accept his authority ! 



I know of no European authority, who has described these particular 

 glands ; my sole authority is the worm itself in whom I shall trust, even 

 if contradicted by Indian authorities. 



On removing the "fluff" from the 5th segment, it is seen to be mainly 

 composed of tubules clearly of a nephridial character. The fluffy 

 ball in the 6th segment is clearly seen by the aid of a lens to be made 

 up of a number of strings exactly like a miniature mop attached to a 

 common handle. 



Under the microscope and with the aid of sections, each of these strings 

 is seen to be a tubular structure opening into the coelom by a slightly 

 funnel-shaped aperture bearing a ciliated epithelium. 



The lumen of each tube appears as it bored through the epithetial cells. 

 These epithetial cells are continuous throughout all the tubules and their 

 lumen opens into a common duct, the " handle " of the mop. 



I repeat these structures are undoubtedly nephridia, and answer in all 

 respects the definition of a nephridium morphologically. 



As I have said nothing whatever about their function I fail to see the 

 relevance of his assumption that I hold any particvilar beliefs as to the 

 secretion of these organs or what becomes of it. 



A. POWELL. 



Bombay, 28i7j August 1911. 



No. LIII.— A NATURAL BIRD-LIME. 



While walking along an elephant dragging path in the north of Barateng 

 Island in the Andamans with Sir Henry Farrington, Bart., Deputy Conser- 



