Norwegian Solenogastres. 13 
been prepared by their secretory function in the service of repro- 
duction, a function which also in the case of Chaetoderma may be 
supposed as primitive. 
Thus even in regard to Chaetoderma we have good reasons to 
call in question whether the coelomoducts have developed from a 
pair of segmental organs; their undoubted similarity to the latter 
is, on the contrary, very probably a character secondarily added to 
the original function as genital efferent ducts. 
Just as we have signalized many parallel characters between 
Neomeniina on the one hand and Protodrilus, Nemertines' and Tur- 
bellarians, on the other, we can establish agreements between Chae- 
toderma, Polygordius and Nematods. Not only seem the side and 
median lines to be similar features, and the longitudinal muscles are 
divided into four fascicles between these lines, but there are also other 
similarities. The primary coelom of Chaetoderma is similar to that 
of the Nematods, which is likewise a schizocoel or haemolymphocoel, 
though in Chaetoderma a tendency to specialization and separation 
is to be traced. The oral shield greatly resembles the ventral lips 
of a Nematod. The nervous system, however, is different with its 
paired pedal and lateral cords, thus in concordance with the Neo- 
meniina showing a character more primitive than in the Nematods 
and more like the organization of a Plathelminth. 
It may be remarked that even the Neomeniina show some 
agreement with the Nematods in the existence of cloacal spicula 
and homologous formations (»preanal glands<),') recalling those 
of male Nematods. Both Chaetoderma and Neomeniina, further 
show a character common with the Nematods as well as with the 
Nematomorpha, to which they have been compared (cf. THIELE 
1902, RAUTHER 1909) in the presence of a cloaca at the rear end 
of the body, receiving the openings of intestine and genital organs; 
but the Solenogastres show a considerably higher degree of devel- 
opment in the presence of breathing organs and blood vessels. 
On the other hand the Neomeniina exhibit a character of more 
1) SIMROTH (1893, p. 196) supposes that these ,glands* should in some 
manner be homologised with the spicula tubes, a view also held by PRUVOT 
1902, and the conditions in Kruppomenia borealis seem to corroborate this 
Opinion. NIERSTRASZ, on the other hand (1908, p. 286) finds it ,,naturgemåsser, 
die Herkunit der Penisstacheln aus Copulationsstacheln und eine Entwicklung 
von Copulationsstacheln aus den Stacheln der Körperbekleidung herzuleiten, 
wenn auch fiir einen solchen Prozess direkte Beweise fehlen“. 
