•294 MR FRANK E. BEDDARD 



in the thick longitudinal muscular coat of the anterior segments, but also in the greatly- 

 increased thickness of some of the anterior inter-segmental septa. These latter structures 

 will be again referred to later (see p. 276). 



The epidermis consists of the usual oval glandular cells, between which lie tall inter- 

 stitial cells. 



The circular muscular layer is not more than two fibres thick in the anterior thickened 

 region of the body. 



In connection with the epidermis I may mention the presence of two sucker-like 

 structures, which lie, one behind the other, in the middle ventral line of segment X. 

 These bodies seem to be possibly organs of sense connected with the generative function. 

 I should compare them to the " Wollustorgane " described by Michaelsen [17] in 

 Acanthodrilus georgianus. 



One is shown in longitudinal section in fig. 20, g. The epidermal cells are here seen 

 to be somewhat elongated, and to converge towards a point situated in the middle of the 

 modified area. The cells are, some of them, very granular, and it may be that they have 

 a glandular function. The integument was not sufficiently well preserved to permit of a 

 more decisive opinion as to the nature of these bodies. 



The clitellar epithelium is one cell thick. These cells are elongated and laden with 

 granules. The glandular part of the clitellum is only developed dorsally ; on the ventral 

 side an area surrounding the generative openings appears quite different when the body 

 wall of the worm is examined from below in a glycerine or Canada balsam preparation. 

 A number of lines shown in fig. 22 radiate out from the male generative pores. These 

 lines suggest muscles connected with the widening or narrowing of the genital pores. In 

 sections I have found it difficult to make out the structure of the integument in this 

 region ; fig. 28, therefore, which illustrates the opening of the vasa deferentia as seen in 

 longitudinal section, must be taken to be only very diagrammatic as regards the epidermis. 

 In any case it is certain that the tall granular columnar cells present on the dorsal 

 surface of the clitellum are here absent. A darkly-stained area divided into cubical 

 blocks underlies the epidermis, which is not greatly developed. I take these structures 

 to represent a series of muscular masses peculiar to this region of the integument, and 

 concerned with the movements of the clitellar segments during coitus, and perhaps also 

 with the closure or opening of the genital pores. The structure wants working out on 

 material that has been specially preserved to this end. 



§ Alimentary Canal. 



This presents the characters that are usually met with in the lower 01igocha3ta, that 

 is, there is no gizzard, and no glands appended to the canal. The buccal cavity occupies 

 the first segment of the body. Its walls consist of little else than a layer of somewhat 

 flattened cells. The pharynx also occupies a single segment — the second. It is chiefly 



