432 
PROF. B. T. LOWNE ON THE STRUCTURE AND 
The great interest of this pouch is that the gum- glands ( gl ) or 
colleterial glands, as they are sometimes called, open by two 
slender ducts ( d ) into it, and not, as is usually believed, into the 
uterus itself. 
Although I have frequently satisfied myself of this, both by 
section and by careful dissection, this point is of such importance, 
that I shall enter into an examination of the views of previous 
writers with regard to the termination of these ducts. 
It is quite possible that several distinct glands have been con- 
founded under the term gum-glands ; indeed it is generally used 
for any accessory gland connected with the sexual canal. These 
glands are generally described as opening into the vagina or 
uterus. Stein (24) gives a great number of figures representing 
the oviducts, uterus, and appendages in the Coleoptera ; in many 
it is difficult to identify the gum-glands. In Hydrophilus (l. c. 
Taf. iv. fig. iii) he represents the gum-glands as opening into the 
upper part of the ovarian duct. They are branching tubules 
which evidently form part of the ovary itself ; and, judging by 
his excellent figure, are identical with the so-called gum-glands in 
the Blowfly. 
Except in the Hydrophylidse, Stein considers the gum-glands 
as a portion of what he terms the “ apparatus of fertilization ” 
(j Befruchtungs-Organe), and represents them as if they opened into 
the spermatophorous capsules or their duct ; although in many 
cases it is almost evident from his figures that they open into the 
oviduct. In some of his figures the spermatophorous capsules 
are represented opening into the oviduct (Taf. i. fig. vi), whilst 
in others they are correctly represented opening into the uterus, 
whilst the gum-glands open into the oviduct (Taf. ii. figs, i, ii , 
and iii). 
Tracing the gum-gland in the Blowfly from its ovarian ex- 
tremity, it lies first under and close to the ovarian duct ; it then 
leaves this duct and comes into relation with the spermatophorous 
capsule, around which it forms a loop. The duct of the gum- 
gland commences at the termination of this loop, and is easily 
overlooked, as it is in close contact with the duct of the spermato- 
phorous capsule, round which it turns and runs forward in 
close contact with the dorsal wall of the uterus aud oviduct to 
terminate in the bulb of the oviduct. It is not difficult to under- 
