IV 



VERMES— SENSORY ORGANS 



231 



In the centre 



dermis with its cuticle, which form the outer cornea over the centre 

 of the protruding eye. The eye itself is a vesicle whose posterior 

 thicker wall forms the retina, while the anterior thinner wall is the 

 inner cornea. The elements of the retina are long cells standing 

 closely pressed together, in which three parts can be distinguished : (1) 

 towards the brain, the cell body with a nucleus ; (2) the rod, which is 

 directed towards the hollow of the bulb ; and (3), between these two, 

 a thin layer of pigment. Under the cornea lies the spherical lens. 

 The rest of the eye is filled with fluid. The retinal cells are continued 

 into nerve fibres, which soon enter the ganglion cells of the optic lobe 

 (ganglion opticum) ; the latter is connected with the brain by a mass 

 of nerve fibres. 



3. The Ghcetognaihan eye (Fig. 154) is spherical 

 of the sphere lie 3 bi-convex lenses 

 imbedded in pigment; to the out- 

 side of each of these 3 lenses a 

 third part of the whole retina is 

 applied in such a way that the three 

 parts together form the wall of the 

 sphere. The retina consists of cells ; 

 the portion of each of these cells I 

 which is in contact with the lens 

 is rod-like, and the part which 

 is turned outwards is the cell-body 

 with its nucleus. At the circuiti- 

 ference of the sphere, each retinal 

 cell is continued as a nerve-fibre. 

 All the nerve fibres unite in the nervus opticus (Fig. 151, p. 227). 

 The Chcetognathan eye may be considered to have come from 3 simple 

 fused ocelli. 



A comparison of the three eyes just described shows how greatly 

 the eyes of worms may vary in structure. 



4. The eyes of Hirudo (Figs. 155, 156) lie in the anterior rings 

 of the body and vary in number. They are cylindrical and stand at 

 right angles to the somewhat modified hypodermis with which they 

 are in contact. The optic nerve enters at the base, its fibres passing 

 into long sensory cells which lie in the axis of the eye. Around 

 the axis are arranged large clear cells, each containing a nucleus and 

 a refractive substance. The whole organ is imbedded in strongly 

 pigmented connective tissue. Our present knowledge of the structure 

 of these organs hardly justifies us in calling them eyes ; morphologically 

 they are transformed tactile organs. 



Fia. 154.— Section througli the eye of Sag- 

 itta hexaptera, after O. Hertwig. ep, Body 

 epithelium ; I, lens ; p, pigment ; st rods ; rr, 

 retinal cells. 



0. Olfactory Organs (Ciliated Organs). 



In many worms of the Nemertian and Chcetopodan divisions there 

 are found, at the anterior end of the body, 2 lateral strongly ciliated 



