456 SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.—D. 
diameter in front, rounded and firm for fully a foot anteriorly, flaccid posteriorly. 
it 1s composed of simiar tne bres secreted by the annelua, the exterior targer 
(4 mim. thick) bemg denser, the interior (%.5 mm. thick) sotter. ‘I'he structure 
of both tubes 1s unique. 
(2) The discharge of the ova in 7’halepus takes place apparently by two 
comparatively large and neatly finished elliptical apertures between the sixth and 
seventh setigerous processes (one on each side). No such apertures have hitherto 
been found in the group. The ova are large. 
33. Dr. Stantey Kemp.—Notes on the Fauna of the Siju Cave, Garo 
Hills, Assam. 
The Siju Cave is situated in the southern part of the Garo Hills, Assam, 
on the right bank of the Someswari River. Vhe cave is in nummulitic lime- 
stone of Middle Eocene formation, is about three-quarters of a mile in length, 
with a stream flowing through it, and has no opening other than the entrance. 
The fauna comprises about 100 species, of which only twenty-two occur in the 
inner parts at distances exceeding 500 yards from the entrance. ‘The vast 
majority of the fauna consists of species which are found, or might be expected 
to be found, outdoors, and only five or six show definite adaptation to caverni- 
colous existence. Of the latter the most interesting are a tresh-water prawn 
(Palemon) with eyes well pigmented but less than half the normal size, and a 
small gastropod (Upeas) in which the retinal pigment is completely absent in 
6 per cent. of the individuals collected. 
34. Dr. A. J. Grove.—Some New Observations on the Sexual Con- 
gress of the Earthworm, Lumbricus terrestris. 
The accounts of this process in the text-books in common use show a sur- 
prising lack of unanimity, particularly with regard to the nature of the 
exchanges. Direct observations have confirmed the account by Hering (1857), 
that, after the approximation of the two worms in the usual ‘ head to tail’ 
position, and adhesion by their clitella, seminal fluid issues from the apertures 
of the vasa deferentia of each worm and travels backwards along a groove or 
furrow, which has been termed the seminal groove and extends from segment 15 
to the clitellum. On reaching the clitellum the seminal fluid collects as a white 
mass between it and the adposed ventro-lateral surfaces of the 9th-11th segments 
of the co-operating worm. Later the spermatozoa become aggregated into two 
masses lying in the grooves between segments 9 and 10 and 10 and 11, and 
thence pass into the spermathecz. 
The nature of the seminal groove has been much in dispute, probably owing 
to its temporary character. 1t is brought into existence and operation by a 
special musculature which extends from segment 14 to the end of the clitellum. 
The adhesion of the two worms is largely effected by the clitella, the 
apposition of the ventral portion of this region of one worm to the ventral 
portion of segments 9-11 of the other being very close. The sete in this region 
are also instrumental in maintaining the connection. ‘The structure of the 
ventral portion of the clitellum differs from that ot the lateral and dorsal 
portions. 
The pores of the ventral setal sacs in the clitellar region, and also in certain 
other segments of the body which show tissue of a similar character on the ventral 
surface, have simple glandular diverticula in connection with them, which are 
not present in other parts of the body. The secretion of these glands is not 
mucin, such as is secreted by the goblet cells of the epidermis. 
35. Miss M. S. G. Breeze.—Invasion of the Tissues of the Higher 
Plants by Protozoan Parasites. 
Recent work on the pathological condition of sterile and otherwise diseased 
tissues points to the presence of protozoan or protistan parasites in plant tissues. 
The research falls under three headings :— 
(i) The discovery of various species of Leptomonas and other protozoa in 
the latex of many plant families. These organisms were first demonstrated in 
1909 by Lafont, and his results have been confirmed by many other medical 
research workers, including Laveran, Mesnil, Franca, and Franchini. 
