THE GIANT EARTH-WORM OF GIPPSLAND. 55 
end. The developing spermatozoa are contained in capsules of connective tissue of 
varying size, which are richly supplied with blood-vessels (0.v.) 
Fig. 16.—Represents the anterior end of the alimentary canal, removed 
with the nervous system. Dorsally are the cerebral ganglia (s.o.g.) | On each side 
pass off the commissures, from which arise (1) near the dorsal end a nerve forwards 
to the prostomial region, (2) near the ventral surface a nerve forwards to the lower 
portions of the mouth, (3) at the side of the pharynx a large flat sheet of nervous 
tissue, which spreads out upon and gives branches off into the walls of the pharynx. 
Fig. 17.—Group of cells from the blood (a) and from the ccelomic fluid (0), the 
latter with stiff pseudopodial processes. 
PLATE 4. 
ac bv ... lateral blood-vessels to wall of alimentary canal. 
b ... basement membrane. 
bv ... blood-vessels. 
ct ... connective tissue. 
ct neph ... Special connective tissue fibres around the nephridial ducts. 
d bv ... dorsal blood-vessels. 
dv ... diverticulum of tube surrounding dorsal blood-vessels. 
ep ... ccelomic epithelium. 
ept ... special epidermic cells modified to form the openings for 
the nephridial duct. 
gang ... ganglion cells. 
oF ... giant fibre. 
gob ... goblet cell. 
mt ... Intestine. 
m ... special muscle fibres at the sides of the nerve cord. 
musc circ ... circular muscle fibres. 
musc long ... longitudinal muscle fibres. 
nN ... nuclei of connective tissue cells surrounding nephridial 
duct. 
neph ... nephridium. 
neph int ... intercellular portion of nephridial duct. 
sept ... septum. 
a ..._ tube surrounding the dorsal blood-vessel. 
Fig. 18.—Transverse section through the body wall at the point of attachment of 
one of the smaller nephridia. Externally lie the cuticle and epidermic cells, amongst 
which are very numerous goblet cells. The epidermic cells have their bases embedded 
in the basement membrane (b.), within which lies the layer of circular muscle fibres, 
