1902.] 



FEMALE ORGANS OF EUDRILUS. 



91 



far as the anatomical chai-acters allow me to guess, the species 

 does not seem to be at all different from Eudrilus eugenice. 



Both Drs. Horst and Eisen, as well as myself, have stated, or at 

 least assumed, that the spermathecal sac of Ettdi-ilus opens on to 

 the exterior by the laterally placed and paired orifices upon 

 segment xiv., and that the oviducts open each one of them into 

 the spermathecal sac some little way in front of the extei-nal pore 

 of the latter. This idea is illustrated in a graphic form by Eisen, 

 who coloiu^s the sp>ermathecal sac blue and the oviduct pink ; he 

 also speaks of the oviduct as opening into the speiinathecal sac. 

 This idea, which has been thus generally accepted, is nevertheless 

 totally wrong \ In the youngest example of this worm which I 



Text-fig. 18. 



Continuation of the series represented in text-fig. 17. Lettering as before. 



In section 1 the branch i'roni the receptacukim (A) has nearlj^ joined the 



oviduct (F) ; in section 2 thej' are completely fused. 



have had the opportmiity of studying, the septum _ dividing 

 segments xiii./xiv. was thickened considerably in the region which 

 is occupied by the female efferent system. There were no pores 

 upon the exterior of segment xiv. in the place where those 

 exceedingly conspicuous orifices are to be seen in the mature worm. 

 But a careful scrutiny of the sections (text-figs. 17 & 18) in order, 



1 It may be pointed out, however, that Dr. Horst letters the combined duct which 

 leads from the oviduct and spermathecal sac to the exterior " ov.," which, m the 

 explanation of the lettering, is stated to signify oviduct. See lov. cit. Mem. hoc. 

 Zool. France, pi. viii. fig. 14. 



