ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 581 



ctange in regard to Polycladiclaa. The carmine grains were further 

 traced in the body-cavity to lymph-cells where they were angular, and to 

 loose chloragon-cells where the grains seemed to be in drops. He 

 believes from his observations that the carmine entered the chloragon- 

 cells via the blood, while it entered the lymph-cells directly from 

 the cells of the gut. No carmine particles were ever found in the 

 nephridia ; but they were found in the cells of the hypodermis, whither 

 they were probably carried by the lymph elements. The author thus 

 shows that waste matter may pass from gut to hypodermis. Further 

 observations are promised in the author's forthcoming monograph of the 

 Opheliacese. 



Russian Lumbricidae.* — Herr IST. Kulagin has investigated the 

 anatomy and systematic characters of the Lumbricidfe which are found 

 in Russia. The cuticle is shown by chemical analysis not to be chitin, 

 but a special body, which, so to say, is preparatory to the chitin of 

 Arthropods. This cuticle is easily soluble in quite weak solutions of 

 hydrochloric acid, the presence of which can be easily demonstrated in 

 the humus in which earthworms live ; as a protection against this acid 

 there is escreted from the ectodermal glands a protective alkaline fluid. 

 The cocoon of L. ruhellus resists acids more strongly, and is not dissolved 

 in pepsin. The number of folds in the calcareous glands diminish in 

 winter and increase in summer ; the so-called investing cells disappear 

 in winter and reappear in summer. 



The hypodermis of the labium contains, in addition to cells already 

 described, knobbed cells, the widened ends of which are connected with 

 nerves ; at their free end they are provided with setae which traverse the 

 cuticle ; these may best be regarded as sensory cells. Besides these there 

 are on the second and third rings cylindrical cells connected with nerves ; 

 these cells are somewhat narrowed at their anterior end, while at the 

 posterior they have one or two processes which are connected with 

 nerves. In the lower layer of the hypodermis there may be found 

 all the intermediate stages between the cells that form the upper layer 

 of the hypodermis and those which lie in the coelom and between the 

 muscular cells. 



Two pigments were discovered in L. ruhellus, one is green and is 

 dissolved by water, the other is red and can be extracted by ether ; the 

 former appears to be converted into the latter by the action of acid. In 

 young examples of Allolobopliora mucosa it was observed that the muscles 

 in the region of the pharynx occupy very much the same position as 

 those which protrude the proboscis in Aeolosoma ; in the adult this 

 position is masked by the enlargement of the tissue of the connective 

 substance and of the muscles of the walls of the pharynx. 



The author's observations on the calcareous gland of Lumhricus 

 ruhellus, Allolobophora mucosa, and A. foetida do not agree with those of 

 Ciaparede. He has found calcareous glands in a new species of Tuhifex, 

 or, in other words, in Oligochfeta limicola as well as 0. terricola. The 

 typhlosole is found to vary in form in different genera, in different parts 

 of the body, and at different times of the year. 



The fluid secreted from the cavity of the mouth and pharynx is 

 alkaline in reaction and converts starch into sugar, and fibrin into 

 peptone ; the calcareous glands are said to convert starch into sugar ; 



* Zool. Auzeig., xi. (1888) pp. 231-5. 

 1888. 2 S 



