36 DR. R. F. SCHARFF ON A NEW 
precise function is still unknown. It has been suggested that 
they serve for the capture of the prey; and this explanation is 
supported bv the observations of Dendy (1) and Woodworth (6). 
Prof. von Graff distinguishes three varieties of rod-like bodies 
(2. p. 55), viz.:—“ Rhabditen, Rhamniten, and Chondrocysten,” 
but observes that there is no real difference in kind—that the 
Rhamnites and Chondrocysts in fact only indicate the extremes 
in both directions of the true Rhabdites. The Rhabdites are 
short and stout, the Rhamnites longer and much more slender, 
while the Chondrocysts are oval or club-shaped masses. I could 
clearly trace the latter form in many of the sections and also the 
Rhabdites, but failed to perceive any rods that could be brought 
under the second denomination. 
As regards the glands which lie in the connective-tissue and 
open on the surface of the epidermis, only one kind is noticeable 
in the section referred to. They convey mucus to the skin, and 
become deeply stained by hematoxylin and less so by borax- 
carmine, which were the reagents used. Portions of mucus in 
the ducts between the epithelial cells are frequently seen, and 
lead one to mistake them for Rhabdites, but the latter are 
pointed at each end, and by that means can be distinguished. 
In the more posterior sections very large glands are noticed near 
the margins of the lower body-surface. These—the “' Kanten- 
driisen ” of Graff—are confined to that part of the body, and will 
be referred to later on. 
The muscular and nervous systems are dealt with so exhaus- 
tively by Prof. von Graff, Prof. Dendy, and others, and there 
appears to be so little difference in the various species, that a 
detailed description of the necessarily incomplete observations I 
have been able to make, appears undesirable. Tsere are a deep 
and a superficial muscular system, while the nervous system 
consists of two longitudinal cords, with an anterior bilobed gang- 
lionic mass or brain. The section (PI. 6. fig. 3) being slightly 
oblique, only one half of the brain (0) is visible. Close to it on 
the dorsal portion of the head lie the eyes, one on each side. 
One of them (e) is represented in the section. Prof. von Graft 
has drawn attention to the fact that two very distinct types of 
eyes occur among the Land-planarians. These two types he 
called ‘‘ Invertirte Kolbenaugen” and “ Retina-augen.” In the 
first type, the retina is placed in front of the eye, and the sensitive 
cells are turned away from the source of light, hence the term 
