5GS 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
younger, and it increases gradually in diameter towards the growing 
edge ; there would be no necessity for and but little advantage in shed- 
ding the tube. 
Free Nerve^endings in the Epithelium of the Earthworm.* — 
Dr. A. Smirnow finds, by using Golgi’s method or a modification of it. 
that the epidermic epithelium of the earthworm contains besides 
Lenhossek’s sensory, terminal nerve-cells, a system of free nerve- 
endings. These intra-epithelial nerve-threads branch in dendritic 
fashion. A sub-epithelial plexus is formed from the tree-like endings 
of the above-mentioned threads, from the axis-cylinder processes of 
Lenhossek’s cells, and from the protoplasmic processes of the same 
elements. The motor and the sensory fibres can be traced into the 
ventral chain of ganglia; the axis-cylinder processes of Lenhossek’s 
cells and the free-ending nerve-fibres are quite independent and do not 
anastomose. The freely ending intra-epithelial fibres are probably 
secretory as well as sensory, for some form a mesh work around the 
mucus cells. Smirnow also describes nerve- endings in the epithelium 
of mouth and gut, besides nerve-fibres and processes spun around the 
blood-vessels, perhaps vasomotor in function. 
Oligochseta of Eastern Tropical Africa.j — Mr. F. E. Beddard finds 
that at present tropical Africa furnishes the most remarkable and 
interesting representatives of the terrestrial Oligocliaeta. The Eudri- 
lidae are almost confined to the Ethiopian region, and abound principally 
in the equatorial region ; the east and west are, as a rule, inhabited by 
different genera, and always by different species. Mr. F. Finn has 
collected in Zanzibar and Mombasa thirteen species at least, of which 
eight are now described as new. 
These are Eudriloides Cotter illi, E. brunneus, Polytoreutus violaceus , 
P. Finnic P. Mlindinensis , Pareudrilus (g. n.) stagnalis , Gordiodrilus 
zanzibaricus , and Alluroides (g. n.) Pordagei. In the regions visited 
the most abundant form appears to be Stuhlmannia variabilis of Michael- 
sen. Some of the species were found in or at the margin of swamps, and 
their aquatic character is spoken to by the total absence of dorsal 
pores, whereby the Eudrilidae may be distinguished from the majority of 
“ earthworms.” 
After describing the new forms in detail, the author discusses the 
nature of the calciferous glands in the Eudrilidae, and the substitution 
of organs as illustrated by their spermatothecae ; these worms have 
coelomic sacs which do duty as spermatothecae, and we have proof that 
the spermatotheca of Heliodrilus yields up, in a series of genera, its 
place to the sac developed out of the mesoblastic tissues, which grows 
as it diminishes, and finally entirely replaces it. 
Provisionally, the Eudrilidae may be divided into two subfamilies; 
in the Eudrilinae there are calciferous glands, generally integumental 
sense-organs, and the funnels of the sperm-ducts are dilated proximally ; 
in the Pareudrilinae the calciferous glands are absent or greatly modified, 
integumental sense-organs are very rare, and there is no dilatation of 
the sperm-ducts. 
* Anat. Anze-ig., ix. (1894) pp. 570-8 (3 figs.). 
f Quart. Journ. Micr. Sci., xxxvi. (1894) pp. 201-69 (2 pis.). 
