ELEDONE. 557 
patch, situated in the middle line (fig. 39, gldr. p.). 
Here there is a thickened region, intersected by many 
sinuous lines. Above the oviducal apertures the patch is 
trilobed, while below them it is bilobed and much larger. 
This raised and folded region forms a frill round each 
oviducal aperture, the two being separated by a folded 
ridge (fig. 39, ¢.7.). There are two symmetrical, equally 
developed oviducts, through which the ova pass from the 
genital gland to the exterior. They open into the dorsal 
wall of the genital gland by two closely approximated 
apertures, one on each side of the middle line (Pl. V, 
fig. 39, 7. od. ap. int.). The initial part of their course is 
best followed by turning aside the ventral wall of the 
ovary, together with the ova. ‘he oviducts are embedded 
in the substance of the dorsal wall of the ovary for some 
distance beyond their origin, ‘and are hence obscured ex- 
ternally (fie. 39, emb,). It will be seen that the water 
vascular canals are similarly embedded in the wall of the 
ovary for the first part of their course. On reaching ihe 
lateral wall of the ovary the two pairs of tubes become 
free and run round the side of the genital gland to its 
ventral surface. . From this point the oviduct slants 
obliquely forwards and outwards, dorsal to the kidney, 
and at the level of the ureter reaches the ventral surface 
of the visceral mass. About half-way down the duct 
occurs a whitish oval swelling—the oviducal gland. As 
shown in fig. 8, the terminal third of the oviduct is visible 
from the mantle cavity, being only covered by the 
epithelium of the viscera] mass. 
All the eggs in any given ovary are at the same stage 
of maturity. The origin of the ova has not been followed 
_ in Hledone, and the youngest specimens examined already 
show the eggs well developed, and surrounded by a 
nourishing egg follicle. In other Cephalopods the ova 
