298 MR FRANK E. BEDDARD 



single glandular cells which open on to the body surface in Leeches, and appear also, 

 according to Benham [20, pi. xvi. bis, fig. 39], to occur in the Earthworm Microchceta ; 

 though here the numerous nuclei probably indicate that the glands in question are really 

 multicellular. It is almost unnecessary to point out that there is every probability of 

 the pharynx being in Pelodrilus of stoniodaeal origin. 



§ Testes. 



There are two pairs of testes placed in segments X and XI (see fig. 27), and attached 

 to the anterior septa of their segments. They are of considerable size when fully 

 developed, and are branched at their free extremities. In the mature worm the testes 

 are nearly always incomplete in number, owing presumably to the fact that the germinal 

 cells of one or more of the gonads have been transferred to the interior of the sperm sacs. 

 Something of this kind possibly accounts for the statements that there are only a single 

 pair of testes in certain genera of the Lumbriculidae, whereas in these very forms there are 

 two pairs of funnels, and two pairs of testes might therefore be expected to exist. In any 

 case, a correspondence between the number of gonads and funnels is always met with 

 among Earthworms. If there are only a single pair of funnels, the testes are reduced to 

 a single pair, while in the vast majority two pairs of vasa deferentia correspond to two 

 pairs of testes. 



§ Vasa Deferentia. 



The characters of the vasa deferentia are, so far as is known at present, very different 

 in the Pkreoryctidae and in the Lumbriculidae. From the Lumbriculidae I exclude 

 Ocnerodrilus, which, as I shall point out to this Society in a forthcoming paper, really 

 shows no particular affinities to the family in which Eisen first placed it. Eclipidrilus 

 also is a genus which requires further investigation before its claims to be placed with 

 family Lumbriculidae can be fully recognised. The family contains at present only seven 

 well-marked genera, viz., Rhynclielrnis , Stylodrilus, Claparedilla, Lumbriculus, Tricho- 

 drilus, Phreatoihrix, and Sutroa. 



In all of these, with the exceptions of Lumbriculus and Sutroa, the vasa deferentia 

 have the following arrangement : — There are two pairs of funnels which open respectively 

 into the IXth and Xth segments. The vasa deferentia open separately on each side of the 

 body into the atrium, which lies in the Xth segment. It follows, therefore, that the vasa 

 deferentia belonging to the second pair of funnels perforate the intersegmental septum 

 X/XI twice. 



As to Lumbriculus, our knowledge is at present confined to a very short note by 

 Vejdovsky [7, p. 150, footnote], which runs as follows : — "Neuerdings aber erhielt ich 

 eine grossere Anzahl der mit vollstandigem Geschlechtsapparate angeriisteten Exemplare, 

 an denen ich sichergestellt habe dass die vermeintlichen Samentaschen des 8 Segmentes 

 voluminose mit ausstiilpbaren Penisrohren verschene Atrien vorstellen, in welche 

 ungemein diinne Samengange einmunden." It is not, therefore, at present quite clear 



