304 
PROFESSOR E. RAY LANKESTER. 
cially in Lumhricus olidus). Tlie publication of these results 
was delayed by other work^ which is the less to be re- 
gretted since Dr. Horst^ (1876) and Dr. Von Mojsisovics 2 
(1877) had but a short time previously applied themselves 
to the same investigation and arrived at results of a similar 
character, though their memoirs had not come into my hands 
until after I had completed my examination of the Earth- 
worm’s integument. The drawings of Dr. Von Mojsisovics 
do more justice to the very beautiful structure of the Earth- 
worm’s epiderm than those of Dr. Horst, at the same time 
there are still some points not fully illustrated or appreciated 
by the former which I hope to see treated in this journal by 
one of my pupils. 
The epidermis of the Leech contrasts very strikingly with 
that of the Earthworm. 
The cells which constitute it are very nearly uniform in 
size and columnar in shape (ttVo ii^ch long --o.-^o-o inch broad 
on the average). 
Gland Cells . — Only a few epidermic cells are enlarged to 
form glands, and these do not as a rule remain in the horizon 
of the other cells but sink below the surface, having only a 
narrow duct to represent them in the epidermic stratum. 
These unicellular glands may be rohghly divided into two 
series, those which are more superficial and those which 
occupy a very deep position. Some of the very deep-lying 
epidermal gland cells are seen in Mr. Bourne’s drawing of a 
section of a nephridium (PI. XXV, fig. 13 e), whilst a more 
superficial one is seen in (PL XXVI, fig. 3y/). I have not 
made a special study of these gland cells, which would well 
repay the attention of the physiologist, especially that 
variety of them which opens into the stomodaeal invagina- 
tion of the epiderm, and which is known as salivary 
gland. The small and more superficial gland cells appear 
to be most abundant about the generative region of the 
body, where they may occur so thickly as one to every six 
or seven columnar cells when seen in transverse section. 
There is little doubt that the superficial series of gland cells 
serve, in this region, to secrete the material of which the 
egg-cocoon is formed. 
Cuticle . — External to the epithelium of the body wall is a 
continuous cuticle, which is more delicate than the corres- 
ponding cuticle of the Earthworm, and quite devoid of 
striations or lamination. It exhibits at intervals (fig. 5) 
1 ‘ Aantcekcningen op de Anatomic von Lumbricus terrestris/ Utrecht, 
187G. 
^ “ Die Lumbriciden hypodermis,” ‘ Sitzber. Akad.,’ Wien, 1877. 
