418 
Argas persicus 
gland, on either side of which lies one of the posterior spongy lobes, and 
the ventral wall of the seminal vesicle above. 
Like the spongy lobes, the granular lobes are invested in an outer 
capsule of connective tissue, but their internal structure presents a 
very different appearance. The lumen of the median granular lobe is 
represented by a narrow vertical cleft, and the entire space between 
the lumen and the capsule is filled with a singular columnar structure. 
The basal portion is formed of more or less recognisable cylindrical 
cells, the free extremities of which break into a columnar succession 
of large granules of an irregular spheroidal or polyhedral form, which 
are supported by a delicate interpenetrating stroma of connective tissue. 
These granules constitute the secretion of the gland and appear to 
aggregate into larger spherical masses or globules as they become free 
within the lumen. The basal cells are furnished with large rounded 
or elliptical, deeply-staining nuclei, and other nuclei in various stages 
of dissolution are distributed irregularly throughout the granular zone. 
The granules are strongly basophile in their reaction to dyes. The 
granular lobes all conform in their structure to the foregoing description, 
but may show minor ditferences in the details (see PI. XXVII, fig. 5 ci-b). 
Near the posterior end of the median granular lobe, the lumen 
divides into four divergent parts, two of which are disposed vertically 
above one another; and the other two of which diverge laterally to 
form the lumen of the first -pair of lateral granidar lobes (see Text- 
fig. 8, D). Of the former, the ventral lumen runs directly backwards 
and downwards and soon comes to a blind termination, while the upper 
lumen continues backwards along the main axis of the body of the 
gland, and gives off, successively, two more lateral lobes—the second 
and third lateral granidar lobes —the second lateral lobe being the 
smallest of the series. The axial lumen then divides once more in the 
vertical direction, giving off a pair of postero-dorsal granular lobes, and 
a single broad median lobe which passes upwards through the fork 
formed by the union of the vasa deferentia with the seminal vesicle, 
and turns forwards along the dorsal surface of the seminal vesicle 
where it forms a median unpaired antero-dorsal granular lobe. The 
postero-lateral angles of this lobe are generally swollen out as a pair 
of conspicuous spherical bosses. The lumina of all these granular lobes 
communicate with that of the median granidar lobe, which at its 
anterior extremity opens directly through the posterior wall of the 
constricted proximal portion of the ductus ejacidatorius, into the 
cavity of which it discharges its secretion. 
