[7] OLIGOCH^TOLOGICAL RESEARCHES. 885 



several segments. Its maiu vesicle is oblong aucl sack-like, supported on 

 a stem of its own length. The receptacle contains a few (two to three) 

 spermatophores of unusual form and size. The latter can nearest be 

 compared with the tongue of a moth, when coiled in a spiral. It is 

 nearly cylindrical, slightly thicker at the middle, vsith both ends con- 

 siderably tapering and pointed {Fig. 2i). When more highly magnified 

 it is seen to be divided in large diagonal segments of nearly equal size 

 [Fig. 2/v). Tbe tails of the spermatozoa are seen to be protruding all 

 •along the upper third of the whole length of the spermatophore, the 

 other twothirds being perfectly smooth [Fig. 1i). The ovaries are large, 

 oblong bodies, with the ripe ova situated at the free extremity. The 

 interior of the ovary contains undeveloped ova of different sizes, mixed. 

 The smallest ones are not always found nearest the point of attachment 

 to the dissipiment [Fig. 2f). 



Segmental organs consist of long and narrow tubes, not covered with 

 any globular cells. At different places we find the tube enlarged, form- 

 ing large more or less circular chambers, which, however, are not fur- 

 ther differentiated (Fig. 2^*). Such chambers I have also found in the 

 segmental organs of several species of Limnodrilus. If they are tem- 

 l)orary or constant is difficult to decide upon. 



The integument of the body is covered with numerous minute, oblong, 

 and elevated pai^illfe, which seen by the microscope, present a dark, 

 opaque appearance (Figs. 2c and 2d). They are absent in the tenth 

 setigerous segment, which contains the efferent duct, &c. The longi- 

 tudinal axes of the glands are all running in the direction of the width 

 of the body. Somewhat similar papillae are found in Fnchytrceidce, but 

 I have observed them nowhere else in this family. 



The spines are of six different kinds, viz, hair spines, comb-like spines, 

 and four kinds of forked spines. The hair spines occur in numbers of 

 three to five all along the upper side of the body, and mostly alternat- 

 ing with the comb-like ones, at least in the segments anterior to the cin- 

 gulum. The prongs of the comb-like or fan-shaped spines are very little 

 separated, and the membrane forming the comb or fan between them 

 very pellucid and often difficult to discern (Figs. 21 and 2m). The forked 

 spines are of two principal kinds: a, spines behind the cingulum, and 

 partly even in front of the same, have the lower prong much broader 

 and longer than the upper one, and the angle between the same nearly 

 a right one (Fig. 2o; &, the spines in front of the cingulum have the 

 upper prong much longer and even somewhat broader than the lower 

 one. The lower prong is sometimes single, but more often double or 

 even triple (Fig. 2n*, 2n, 2p). Similar spines are not found in any 

 other species of the family. 



The length of the body, about 15°"", by l"""" wide. The front part of 

 the body is the thickest, and from here it tapers considerably and grad- 

 ually toward the posterior end. Only the very frontal segments are 



Fig. 2g at * shows one of those cliambers in optical section. 



