360 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



deal in worms of different ages, in a very young worm 

 in which both testes and ovaries are present, but before 

 the development, to any great extent, of the sperm sac, 

 the ciliated funnel is visible. It is the first part of the 

 vas deferens to be formed, and appears as a local 

 proliferation of the cells of the septum between segments 

 10 and 11. It rests at first directly on the septum, and 

 it is only at a later stage, after the formation of the tube 

 itself, that it hangs freely into the body cavity. Even 

 at such an early stage as this, it is slightly hollowed 

 out, with its convex side attached to the septum and its 

 concavity opening into segment 10. As the vasa 

 deferentia develop the ciliated funnels increase in size, 

 lose their direct connection with the septum 10/11, and 

 take up their normal position in the segment, being 

 situated one on either side of the intestine and a little 

 ventral in position. Each funnel forms a markedly cup- 

 shaped expansion of the anterior end of the vas deferens. 

 It has a circular outline in transverse section, and opens 

 into the body cavity by a wide aperture (PI. TV, fig. 18b). 

 The funnel is composed of a single layer of cells 

 which, when seen in section, are quadrangular in shape, 

 those nearer the centre of the funnel being squarish in 

 outline, while those nearer the edge are somewhat longer 

 than broad (PI. IV, fig. 17, ct. ep.). They are all 

 provided with large nuclei, those in the squarish cells 

 being almost spherical, while the others are oval in shape, 

 but all possess a very distinct nucleolus. This epithelium 

 is ciliated, the cilia being very conspicuous both in 

 stained preparations and in the living specimen. In the 

 latter, the cilia do not seem to be disposed equally over the 

 inner surface of the funnel, but rather to be confined to 

 certain tracts. There is nothing in the sections, however, 

 to suggest this arrangement, and it is very likely that the 



