356 MR. E. 15. BEDDAUD OX EARTHWORMS [^Pl*. 16) 



In both genera the oviduct gives off a branch before it ends iu the 



funnel lying inside the receptaculum ovorum which opens into 



the spermatliecal-sac system near to the position occupied by the 



ovary of its side. The two funnels are, as in Lyhhdrllus, not 



very' different in size, a featux'e in Avhich they botli contrast with 



StMriiannia, where the funnel opening into the receptaculum is 



enormous and explores every nook and corner of that sac. In 



Alvania ^ I find, on a reconsideration of my preparations, an 



identical arrangement. I may mention, with regard to this latter 



genus, that the caecum of the oviduct, which I described as being 



visible in sections, is not an abnormality, as T thought at first, 



after ascertaining its presence, that it might be. For it also exists 



in Hyperiodrilus and Heliodrihis — a further reason, I must admit, 



for imiting these three genera, as has been done by Michaelsen. 



The same condition appears to exist in other Eudrilida^, as I 



judge from certain figures. Thus I am disposed to believe that 



the tube lettered " os," in Eosa's figure - of the female organs of 



Paradrilus rosa', is the oviducal tube opening into the coelomic 



sac of the spermathecal system. Possibly also the tube lettered 



" sg •' by Michaelsen \ in his sketch of the genitalia of Unyoria 



papUlata, is of the same nature. In his original description of 



iStiMiiiannicu Michaelsen notes the opening of the oviducts into 



the spermathecal sac. He does not, however, state explicitly that 



there are two funnels, only referring to the fact that the oviduct 



is provided laterally with a receptaculum. In his later and more 



detailed account of the species, Michaelsen speaks of a funnel 



situated in the " ovarialblase," The latter paper deals in an 



appendix with the comparative anatomy of the " Teleudrilinen," 



a group afterwards abandoned by the author, which contained 



only those forms with unpaired generative orifices. In that 



review of the anatomical characters the author mentions in an 



isolated sentence that " Bei Platydrilus kommuniziert die Sament- 



asche durch ]e einen Kanal mit den beidern Eileitern." In 



other cases he speaks of the " Eitrichterblase," by which term the 



somewhat swollen muscular coat at the junction of the two branches 



of the oviducts and the tubes themselves are described. The term 



tends rather to imply a distinct structure, and does not appear to 



me on this account to be quite appropriate. 



I hope that the diagram (text-fig. 87, p. 354) given with this 

 description may render the relations of the oviduct to the coelomic 

 spermathecal clear in Stuldmannia and some of its allies. 



It will be obvious from the foregoing that, whatever view be 

 taken of the homologies of the parts concerned, many, if not all, 

 of the more complex forms of Eudrilidae undoubtedly possess two 

 oviducal funnels. 



^ " Two new Genera and some new Species of Earthworms " Quart. Journ. 

 Micr. Sei. xxxiv. p. 271. 



- " Die exotischen Terricolen des k.-k. naturhistorischen Hofmuseums," 

 Ann. k.-k. nat. Hofm. 1891, pi. xiv, fig. 13. 



* " Die Regenwiinner Ost-Afrikas," in Deutscb-Ost-Afrika, iv. pi. ii. fig. 24. 



