546 MR. F. E. BEDDARD ON THE [JunC 23, 



anterior segments of the body. In both species of Notoscolex the 

 nephridia appear to be much the same, as also in Didymogaster : in 

 these genera the description of the nephridia agrees fairly closely 

 with what appears to be the characteristic features of these organs 

 in PerichcEta, at least in those species in which they have been 

 observed. In my species of Cryptodrilus the nephridia are entirely 

 different, and conform to the type that is met with in many species 

 of Earthworms, including Microchceta and certain species of Acantho- 

 drilus '. These organs in Cryptodrilus fletclieri consist of a compli- 

 cated coil of glandular tu'uules, the details of which I have not 

 worked out, but which appears to bear every resemblance to the 

 corresponding part of the nephridium of Lumbricus, opening on to 

 the exterior by a sac-like muscular duct, which is furnished at its 

 extremity with a short diverticulum of identical structure. 



Another fact of importance about the nephridia of this species is 

 that their orifices are not fixed ; like those of Acanthodi-ilus nova; 

 zelandicE and A. dissimilis and of Plutellus, the nephridia of Crypto- 

 drilus fietcheri alternate in position from segment to segment. The 

 position of the orifices, however, always corresponds to one of the 

 setae and may be placed in front of either of the dorsal pair, which 

 have been already stated to be widely separated in this worm. Some- 

 times the position of the nephridial pore corresponds to the outer- 

 most of the two ventral setae, but I have never observed the nephridial 

 pore to be situated in relation to the ventralmost seta. In one 

 specimen which I studied by means of transverse sections the 

 nephridia appeared to commence in the second segment. In this 

 and the two following segments the nephridiopores were placed in 

 front of the dorsal seta ; in the next three segments the nephridio- 

 pores have a similar relation to the ventral setae of the lateral pair ; 

 in the ninth segment the pores were asymmetrically disposed, being on 

 one side of the body in front of the outermost seta, on the opposite 

 side in front of ventral seta of dorsal pair. In some of the succeeding 

 segments the asymmetrical disposition of the nephridiopores was also 

 found ; in this particular character Cryptodrilus agrees with the 

 other species referred to. 



The difference in the nephridia of this species and of C. rusticus 

 is not, in the present state of our knowledge, suflScient reason for 

 separating the two forms generically ; precisely similar differences are 

 to be seen in Acanthodrilus. 



Reproductive Organs. 



The seminal vesicles (testes) in the specimen that I dissected have 

 the very anomalous arrangement recorded by Fletcher ; that is to 

 say, a pair is placed in segments 9 and 12, the intermediate segments 

 not being occupied by these structures. 



The ciliated rosettes lie in segments 10 and 11. 



The same segments contain the testes, which are precisely similar 

 in position and in structure to those of other Lumbricidae. An 



' P. Z. S. 18S5, p. 810. 



