ZooL.— Vol. II.] EISEN—OLIGOCH.-ETA. 107 



to their thinness and intricate folding, but it is certain that 

 the last heart is found in the same somite as the sperm- 

 funnel. 



Nephridia. — The nephridium is furnished with a coecal 

 pouch, and is of large size. It is differentiated into two 

 large wings at the junction of which is situated a bulbous 

 spinxter (figs. 12-16). The upper part of this spinxter is 

 ciliated. It consists of a number of closely packed, lamellae- 

 Hke cells, with lamellated cytoplasm. The coecum leads 

 into a short narrow duct which opens into a bulbous, gland- 

 ular chamber. The glandular pouch is present in all 

 nepridia posterior to the clitellum. The spur is long and 

 unusually narrow. The windings are much smaller than in 

 most other nephridia. There is a narrow "bridge" without 

 cilia. I have not had the time to study out the course of the 

 canals, but it appears to be more complicated than in Ker- 

 ria, Argilofhilus and Microscolex, in each of which genera 

 I have followed them in detail. There are numerous blood- 

 vessels both in the pouch and the folds, as well as in the 

 spur; and owing to them and to the numerous muscles 

 attaching the nephridia to the body-wall, the study of the 

 ducts is difficult. The nephrostome is of large size, larger 

 than I have seen in any other nephridium. In form and 

 structure it resembles the drawing given by Perrier, but the 

 funnel is always situated in the somite next anterior to the 

 nephropore. The nephridium is readily dissected out 

 entire. The most anterior nephridium has the form deline- 

 ated by Perrier. I can find none of the funnels described 

 by Beddard as belonging to this nephridium. The peculiar 

 gland forming an appendix to the central part of the 

 nephridium consists of several rows of very large bottle-like 

 cells (fig. 12(5.) with a coarsely granulated secretion which 

 is so dense as to hide the nucleus of the cell even in quite 

 thin sections. This granular substance stains intensely 

 blue with the methylen colors. The cells open into a wide, 

 common lumen. The inner cells are surrounded by much 

 smaller cells with distinct membranes, also containing a 

 coarse granulation, which, however, stains but feebly. 



