318 



Memoirs of the Indian Museum,. 



sf/Jüf — \ oes.joo 



oes.2 



e. 



[Vol. VII, 



body-cavity having coagulated on fixation and formed a membrane which is thrown 

 into folds in the peculiar pattern indicated. 



The mouth is, as v. Linstow states, without lips. There are six small cephalic 

 papillae, two lateral and four sublateral. The lateral papillae are slightly larger than 



the others. The diameter of the head at 

 the level of the papillae is 0*15 mm. The 

 oesophagus is distinctly divided into an 

 anterior, narrow, muscular portion and a 

 much longer and wider, posterior, glandular 

 portion. The muscular portion measures 

 only 075-0-9 mm. in length, while the total 

 length of the oesophagus is 3*25-3-5 mm. 

 The muscular portion itself is slightly gra- 

 nular in appearance for nearly the posterior 

 half of its length. It is surrounded by the 

 nerve-ring at 0-67-0-8 mm. from the 

 anterior end. 



Contrary to the statement of v. Linstow, 

 a minute excretory pore is present on the 

 ventral surface a little behind the junction 

 of the two portions of the oesophagus (at 

 i'0-i-i mm. from the anterior end), and 

 connected with this there is a structure 

 apparently representing the excretory 

 "bridge," into which faint indications of 

 ducts can be seen coming from both anterior 

 and posterior directions. These ducts, 

 however, have not been traced along the 

 lateral fields, nor has any connection been 

 observed between them and the peculiar 

 " network " already referred to. 

 The vulva is very hard to see in mature females, even when perfectly cleared, 

 owing to the dense mass of embryos contained in the uterus. It is situated slightly 

 in front of the middle of the body. The vagina consists of a very narrow, non-mus- 

 cular duct running through the body-wall in a postero-dorsal direction from the open- 

 ing, and a very short, somewhat muscular portion returning towards the head and con- 

 nected with the uterus. The whole of the vagina is not more than 0-4 mm. in length. 

 The two branches of the uterus are directly opposed, and form one continuous straight 

 tube joining the ovaries, which are situated at opposite ends of the body-cavity. This 

 tube fills the whole width of the body-cavity with the exception of the space occupied 

 by the very narrow intestine, which runs in close contact with the body-wall. The 

 ovaries are exceedingly short in proportion to the length of the worm. They are 

 usually reflexed, but occasionally continued in a straight line with the uterus. They 



— ov. 



Fig. 53 



of female 



—Micropleura vivipara. 

 lateral view. 



Anterior end 



e., excretory pore; n.r., nerve ring oes.l a ., 

 oes.l b ., two portions of anterior division of oeso- 

 phagus ; oes.2., posterior division of oesophagus ; 

 ov., oviduct. 



