962 



MR. H. R. MEHRA OIT TWO NEW INDIAN 



but the three layers are recognizable. The epithelium consists of 

 cubical cells of not more than 6'5 ^ height ; in the advanced stages 

 of sexual maturity the cells lining the inner blind portion are 

 still lower, while those near the duct are somewhat square in 

 outline. The muscular portion of tlie wall is much thinner, and 

 consists of the same layers as in the duct. The thin peritoneum 

 continuous with that of the duct forms the outermost layer. 

 The greater thickness of the wall of the duct is due to the 

 greater height of its epithelial cells and thickness of the muscle 

 layers. 



In one specimen the spermathecse were foimd to be in an early 

 stage of development (text-fig. 6). Here it has the form of a small 

 rounded chamber with an external opening and is not diflerentiated 

 into duct and an ampulla. In size it measures 120/x, by 90^. 

 Its epithelium is composed of tall cells with oval nuclei lying 

 about the middle and is surrounded on each side by a mass of 

 small peritoneal cells with prominent nuclei, a few of which are 



p.c- 



c.m.f. 



l.ih.f. 



Stages in the formation of a spennatheca. X 840. 



continued to form a thin layer above. There is no layer of 

 muscle fibres present outside the epithelium, the cells of which 

 have the same form and structure as those of the epidermis, with 

 which they are continuous. In another specimen th e spermathecte 

 are better developed, and one of them was about IGOyu, by 68/x, in 

 size; here they have the form of an upright tube with an external 

 opening. It is composed of columnar cells with conspicuous 

 nuclei lying faiidy near the periphery. Outside the epithelium a 

 thin layer of circular muscle fibres surrounded by a few peritoneal 

 cells is present, but the layer of longitudinal muscle fibres is not 

 yet formed. The wall is 22^ thick and the lumen 13/x wide. 

 Here also there is as yet no indication of the ampulla (text-fig. 7). 

 The spermathecas thus arise as small rounded sacs by an 

 invagination of the epidermis, then they assume a tubular form, 

 but the differentiation into the duct and ampulla takes place 

 much later. In both these cases there were no spermatozoa in 

 the spermathecse. 



