MILAX SOWERBII. 



153 



in front and to the right of tlie cephalic retractor ; in addition there are a number 

 of muscular fibres which bind the apex and concave side of the epiphallua to the 

 base or to the atrium ; the spermatheca in adults is shaped like a long-necked 



Fig. 171. — Alimentary tract of 

 Milax sowerbii^ showing the 

 buccal bulb and nerve-ring, X 2. 



Fig. 173.— Cephalic re- 

 tractors of Milax sowerbii, 

 X 8. 



Fig. 172.— Sexual organs of Milax sowerhii, x 3, the accessory glands turned aside to show the 

 character of the atrium. alb.gl. albumen gland ; ot. ovotestis ; sp. spermatheca ; sp.d. sperm duct ; 

 p.s. penis sheath ; ep. epiphallus ; r, retractor ; gl. accessory glands. 



Florence flask, the apex is attached to the ovi-seminal duct, and the base well defined 

 from the narrower but short and slightly inflated stem, which is regularly and 

 strongly plicated internally, and joins the free oviduct just before entering the 

 ATRIUM ; the VESTIRULAR GLANDS consist of a multitude of long, slender, opaque, 

 and buff-coloured tubules, more or less ramified and interconnected, their ducts 

 discharging into the base of the oviduct at the 

 point where the spermatheca enters and into 

 which organ the secretion is directed ; the 

 atrium is comparatively large and fleshy, with 

 ample outlet ; the spermatophore in shape 

 may be likened to the head of a Bishop's 

 crozier with a short staff, the curved portion 

 armed with three or more subspiral rows of 

 recurved denticles, many of which are tricuspid 

 or even multicuspid ; the straight lower por- 

 tion is conically diminished, glistening pearly- 

 white, perfectly smooth and open at the end. 

 It agrees exactly with the spermatophore of 

 Milax hessei Bottger, which should probably 

 be placed amongst the synonyms of this 

 species, but differs from the spermatophore of Milax marginatiis, which is described 

 as armed with denticles throughout its entire length. 



The ALIMENTARY SYSTEM in our British form has about half-a-turn less twist 

 than the continental Milax marginatiis; the cesophagus is about six mill, long, and 

 obscurely striped ; the CROP blackish-brown and bent, with the white and rather 

 compact SALIVARY GLANDS attached at opposite sides ; the general plan of the 

 INTESTINAL TRACT is triodiomous, and very similar to the arrangement in Milax 

 gagates ; the digestive GLAND is of a dull chestnut-brown, the right lobe extend- 

 ing to the end of the body cavity, and twisted round with the intestine ; the left 

 lobe is smaller, and extends forward towards the kidney; the hepatic arterial 

 branches are white, and extend over the surface of the intestines, binding the whole 

 mass intimately together. 



The CEPHALIC RETRACTOR arises from the dorsum at the posterior margin of the 

 Jung chamber; the PHARYNGEAL muscle is most usually though not invariably 

 ■iqidependent of the TENTACULAR RETRACTORS, but their loots arise in close prox- 

 imity; it is very deeply cleft, bifurcating just before reaching the nerve ring, while 

 the tentaculars divide half-way to the nerve collar, exactly at and under the part 

 pf the shell which is firmly attached to the floor of the sac, 



25/5/01 K 



Fig. 174. Fig. 175. 



Fig. 17i. — Spermatophore of Milax 

 soiverbii, X 8 (from a micro-photograph). 



Fig. 175. — Spinules from the spermato- 

 phore oi M. si»vefbii (greztly enlarged). 



