242 



DR. ^V. B. BENHAM ON 



[Nov. 15, 



constituting n meganepliridium. In these the nepridial funnel 

 is present and can be traced into communication with the 

 nephridium, which opens to the exterior, pi-obably in line with a, 

 as it is in another species which was more carefully studied in 

 this respect. I did not trace it in the present species. Not only 

 is there this meganephric nephridiostome in these hinder segments, 

 but a similar funnel is present throughout the worm. In the 

 micronephric segments it is unconnected with the nephridium 

 and has no extei^nal opening. 



Text-fie-. 64. 



Tokea esculenta. — A somewhat diagrammatic drawing of a dissection of the worm, 

 showing the tongue-shaped form and sub-enteric position of the prostates 

 characteristic of the genus ; the intestine is cut awaj' exposing the glands ; the 

 ventral vessel and nerve-cord remaining in situ. INT., intestine ; D.V., dorsal 

 blood-vessel ; V.V., ventral blood-vessel ; N.C., nerve-cord. 



The presence of a funnel, independent of the micronephridia, 

 throughout the worm is of very considerable interest. Such an 

 arrangement has not hitherto been recorded. The funnel is of 

 the same size and structure as that of the meganej^hridia, and 

 both in its large size and peculiar form differs from any funnel 

 hitherto figured. In each of the species of Tohea the same 

 general arrangement occurs, though the details as to character 

 and arrangement and extent of the micronephridia! tufts differ in 

 each case. I am preparing a detailed account of the excretory 



