242 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



The accessory genital mass comprises an albumen gland 

 and a mucous or nidamental gland in connection with the 

 female elements, and a spermatocyst (spct.) for storing the 

 sperms introduced during copulation. The various parts are 

 closely bound together, and owing to their brittle nature are 

 difficult to separate in a preserved specimen. The little 

 hermaphrodite duct passes forward to the right antero- ventral 

 side of the mass and disappears from view. On turning up the 

 glands, however, it is seen to become suddenly constricted (lp.), 

 and the slender duct loops round a pear-shaped caecum, the 

 spermatocyst. The duct then enters the mass, and its course 

 can no longer be traced in surface view. The spermatocyst 

 is a blind pouch which occupies the concavity of the hemi- 

 spherical loop formed by the little hermaphrodite duct. It is 

 usually densely packed with pure sperms. Its stalk or duct 

 is bent in a figure S. It communicates with the central portion 

 of the large hermaphrodite duct as described below. 



Forming the anterior portion of the accessory genital 

 mass is a much convoluted portion of the mucous gland (wind. 

 gl.), called by Guiart the twisted or winding portion (glande 

 contournee) and by Mazzarelli the " portion coiled like a ball 

 of thread " (porzione a gomitolo). This is the first part of 

 the voluminous mucous or nidamental gland which forms the 

 outline of the accessory genital mass. If the folds of the 

 winding portion be traced it can be seen that the narrow 

 sinuous portion suddenly enlarges, opening into the smaller 

 loop of the mucous gland (muc. gl l .). . After this small loop 

 the mucous gland makes a larger loop, and discharges into the 

 base of the large hermaphrodite duct on its sacculated right side. 

 The surface of the mucous gland appears transversely striped 

 owing to the presence of internal septa, arranged in a parallel 

 fashion at right angles to the walls of the gland. The centre 

 of the mass is occupied by an albumen gland (alb. gh), which 

 is greenish or yellowish in colour and forms a contrast to the 



