1124 DR. J. STEPHENSON ON THE OLIGOCH.'ETA OF THE 



one on each side ; in a third, a transverse series, the two sacs join 

 dorsally above tlie alimentary tube before they enter it. 



The dorsal vessel originates in segm. viii. between the two 

 oesophageal sacs. The blood was colourless (no red staining with 

 eosin — absence of hsemoglobin). 



The coeloniic corpuscles are few in number, large, disc-like, 

 oval, about r>0/x in long diameter; the body is granular, and a 

 nucleus is present, 3 fi in diameter, with a more deeply staining 

 dot-like nucleolus. In one specimen the corpuscles were distinctly 

 smaller than in the others — only 20 fx long. 



The preseptal portion of the nephridia is often pjavamidal in 

 shape, narrow at the free end and broader where it joins the 

 septum ; in any case it is of some length (40-60 /a). The 

 postseptal portion is broad and ovoid or peai'-shaped, with the 

 wider portion behind. The duct is narrow, cylindrical, and long 

 — as long as or longer than the postseptal portion ; it is curved, 

 arched, or even bent into a loop with the convexity backwards. 



The testes are small, compact, either slightly lobed or not, but 

 not divided (that is, not split up into a number of elongated pear- 

 shaped divisions attached in a cluster at their narrow ends, as is 

 the case in the genus Lumhricillus). A few sperm-morulse lie 

 loose in segm. xi. 



The funnels are small, with a distinct rim of nuclea,ted cells, 

 and resemble what is known as a " thistle-funnel." Each is 

 rather longer tlian broad ; in difterent specimens they measured 

 92 by 56^, 100 by 72 /u, and 120 by 100 j^. 



The lirst portion of the vas deferens, which lies in front of the 

 septum, is 16/,i in diameter; it very soon pierces the septum, and 

 after maintaining its former size for a short distance, contracts to 

 a very narrow tube, -5-8 /x in thickness, which lies in a close coil 

 ventr;Uly in the anterior part of segm. xii. just behind the septum 

 and behind tl)e position of the funnel. 



The penial body is of the lumbricillid type, spherical, compact, 

 of definite form, enclosed in a muscular capsule, about 120 /.i in 

 diameter. In one specimen it appeared to be rather shorter in 

 vertical diameter, 120 ;z high by 160 /a long. 



The ovai-ies are small, and consist of club-shaped lobes. Ova lie 

 in segm. xii. 



The spermatbecal duct is cylindrical, about 30 /^ in diameter, 

 with thick walls and small lumen; there are no gland-cells either 

 on its course or round its ectal end. The ampulla is cylindrical 

 or ovoid, tliin-walled, 40 p. in cross-section. There is a direct 

 connection between the ampulliB of the two sides across the 

 middle line dorsal to the oesophagus — a fairly wide passage 24^ 

 in diameter, with a lumen of 16yu; this connection between the 

 two ampulla3 is contiguous to the oesophageal wall, but there is no 

 communication with the cavity of the oesophagus, a double 

 layer of cells, the alimentaiy epithelium and the spermathecnl 

 epithelium, always intervening. 



In another specimen, although the ampullae -were more swollen 



