364 MYBIOCHELE. 



G-ilson l (1894) describes a pair or sometimes two pairs of very small nephridial 

 funnels in the posterior part of the sixth segment, passing through the muscular coat, and 

 opening not freely on the surface but into a longitudinal duct, which may at certain places 

 be only an epithelial groove. He thought the ova escaped by it. The same author 2 

 (1894) thought that the substance which fills the glandular tube (of the filiform glands) is 

 got rid of by a process of oozing through the cellular membrane. 



Grilson 3 (1897) further described the septal valves and other features of Owenia. 

 The anterior septa have regular openings, which can be occluded by the contraction of 

 the valves, and he connects this, amongst other things, with the absence of the circular 

 muscular coat, except in the short region comprising segments 1 to 4. The septa have 

 strong muscles, and the greater number are associated with invaginations of the epidermis 

 and epidermal tubes. He is of opinion that these muscular septa and valves are intimately 

 associated with the movements of the annelid in its tube, and are hydrodynamic, besides 

 permitting the passage of the genital products. The epithelial tubes give entrance to 

 sea-water, and perhaps afford an exit for coelomic fluid. The epidermal canal, again, is 

 a provision for the emission of the genital products in the tube at the sixth segment, and 

 it relieves the animal from the dangers of exposing so much of the anterior region for 

 this or other purposes. The theoretical considerations concerning the epithelial tubes, 

 septa, and the canal in the sixtli segment need not be considered, and there is some doubt 

 concerning the emission of the reproductive elements. 



Arnold Watson (1900) gave an epitome of previous knowledge of the group, and 

 added interesting observations of his own with good figures on the functions of the 

 " Lippen-organ," the structure and the mode of formation of the tube, and on the repro- 

 duction and development of Oivenia filiformis. 



Johnson 4 describes an Ammochares (Owenia), viz. 0. occidentalisms having bifid 

 uncini, but this is a general feature. 



At Naples, Lo Bianco (1909) found mature specimens from January to June, and 

 similar observations were made by the veteran French observer, De St. Joseph. 



Genus CXXXI. — Myeeochele, Malmgren, 1867. 



Head blunt or truncated, devoid of eyes and appendages. Mouth oblique, sub- 

 ventral. Body slender, cylindrical, of two regions. Anterior region has three segments, 

 with three pairs of bristle-bundles only ; the succeeding region has bristles and hooks in 

 each segment. Bristles with smooth shafts and spinulose tips ; hooks bidentate, forming 

 a file-like, ventral, interrupted belt on the surface of the tori. Tubicolous. 



1 ' Anafc. Anzeiger/ Bd. x, p. 191, five text-figs. 



2 < La Cellule/ t, x, p. 299, one plate. 



3 Ibid., t. xii, p. 377, pis. i— iii. 



4 ' Proc. Bosfc. Soc. Nat. Hist./ vol. xxix, p. 420, pi. xiv, figs. 140—142. 



