45 



The spermduct is formed of five portions: the vas deferens, the sperma- 

 tophoric gland, the vas efferens, the spermatophoric sac and the penis. The 

 spermatophoric sac forms the proximal , the penis the distal end of a fusiform 

 longitudinal tube which is parallel both to the vas deferens and the vas efferens, 

 and the spermatophoric gland connects the distal end of the former v\rith the 

 proximal end of the latter. The vas deferens (Plate II, Figs. 10-12) begins in 

 a ciliated funnel which is placed posteriorly near the median line at the level of 

 the opening of the testis. The funnel leads from the coelom to a small bulbular 

 enlargement and this in turn opens into the main portion of the vas deferens 

 which seems convoluted , since a number of folds , the remnants of a primary 

 convolution , project like vavulae conniventes into its lumen. Otherwise the vessel 

 is straight and gradually increases in diameter distally. It opens into the sper- 

 matophoric gland near the middle of its inner surface. 



The spermatophoric gland , an oval and slightly flattened organ , is a speci- 

 alized portion of the sperm duct which forms two bights in the gland; the first 

 directed outward and backward , the second inward and forward. The former, the 

 vesicula seminalis is formed of three portions and is much larger than the latter, the 

 appendix. ^) The proximal (upper) limb of the seminal vesicle is very thick (about 

 one half as broad as long) and the sperm rope passes thru it in a small sigmoid 

 canal, "the sperm canal", into which open three large glandular blind sacs or 

 pouches. The first of these (Plate II, Fig. 12, V. 1.) is a huge backwardly 

 directed , bean shaped sac , which lies upon the upper and inner surface of the 

 gland. Its lower wall , which rests upon the second portion of the seminal vesicle, 

 is formed of a very thick columnar epithelium (320 — 340,") which differs mark- 

 edly from the epithelium of the rest of the gland. The remainder of the 

 wall of the gland forms a branched tabular gland of the type shown in text 

 figure 14. The lumen of this gland is approximately trough-shaped and opens 

 into the. upper side of the proximal part of the sperm canal. The second pouch 

 (V. 1' in the figures) is biscuit-shaped and lies upon the outer surface of the gland. 

 It opens into the sperm canal just behind the opening of the first gland. These two 

 glands , with the corresponding portion of the sperm canal . form Maechand's first 

 portion of the spermatophoric gland. The third gland is about as large as the 

 first and fies inside above and below the sperm canal with which it communi- 



1) We follow the nomenclature used by Marchand in his excellent work upon the male reproductive 

 system of cephalopods, with a slight modification, viz. — the spermatophoric gland is the entire organ 

 concerned in the formation of the spermatophore, i. e. the vesicula seminalis, the prostata and the appendi's; 

 the vas efferens (Beock) is the distal portion of sperm duct which connects the spermatophoric gland and 

 the spermatophoric sac and is, therefore, Maechand's "the distal portion of the vas deferens" 



