ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
37 
an organ without opening into the coelom, and with a branching termina- 
tion provided with tube-bearing flagellated cells. A ripe male specimen 
of G. maculata showed that the ciliated organ in this species acts as 
a genital duct or funnel, opening into the nephridial canal. The general 
conclusion is hinted at, that the ciliated organ is the morphological 
representative of the peritoneal or genital funnel of other Annelids, and 
probably of the Coelomata in general. 
New Japanese Earthworms.* — Prof. S. Goto and S. Hatai have 
published a first instalment of a series of studies on Japanese earth- 
worms. This deals with species of Pericliseta, of which 16 new forms 
are described; while in regard to P. Sieboldii , the strange fact is noted 
that none of the specimens quite agree with the description of the 
position of the spermathecse given by European zoologists. 
Habits of Pontobdella.f — The Hon. Henry Gibbs kept Pontobdella 
muricata in his tanks for about six months. Among the interesting 
facts observed, the following may be noted : — The leech showed no 
sensitiveness to the tentacles of sea-anemones ; one of the few stimuli 
which excited it was a hand placed near it in the water ; it paid no heed to 
a dead flounder, but fastened at once on a small dead skate dropped into 
the tank ; it avoided living blennies, gobies, wrasse, &c., but attached 
itself to and sucked a living skate ; it always appeared to dislike heat. 
Structure and Affinities of Ichthyobdellida.f; — Herr L. Johansson 
describes some of the anatomical features of these leeches, and shows 
the impossibility of a natural classification which does not take account 
of the internal structure. The primitive form must have had a well 
developed body-cavity, two entirely separate intestinal caeca, a small and 
simple bursa, and reticulate inter-connected nepliridia spreading around 
the body. The affinities of the genera may be represented thus : — 
9 Calobdclla 
Pontobdella % 
O O 
S Cystobranchus 
H Piscicola 
O — 
# Pldtybdella (?) 
® Platybdella (?) 
$ Abranchus 
O Primitive form 
* Anuot. Zool. Japon., ii. (1898) pp. 65-78 (14 figs, and a table), 
f Journ. Marine Biol. Ass., v. (1898) pp. 330-2. 
X Zool. Anzeig., xxi. (1898) pp. 581-95 (22 figs.). 
