COE: TERRESTRIAL NEMERTEAN OF BERMUDA. 
543 
of their function is not wholly 
they occur with equal abundance about the large lateral vessels 
which are probably under no circumstances completely closed at 
any point, so that their action as valves would be out of the ques¬ 
tion. Observations on the circulation of the blood in the living 
worms demonstrate the fact that the blood flows backward and 
forward in the same vessel at different times, the course of the 
flow apparently depending wholly upon the state of muscular 
contractions of the body and movements of its different portions. 
Moreover the substance of the cell becomes deeply colored with 
the same reagents that stain the secretions of various glands in 
the body. It therefore seems probable that they are simple glan¬ 
dular cells whose function is to pour their secretions into the blood 
vessels. Dendy ('92) figures these cells accurately, but probably 
falls into error in stating that the smaller vessels along which they 
occur are nephridial tubules which open into the larger blood 
vessels. 
The dorso-median vessel does not enter the walls of the proboscis 
sheath at any part of its course, but extends from the ventral brain 
commissure to the posterior end of the body directly beneath the 
proboscis sheath. In the intestinal region there are paired meta- 
meric anastomoses with the lateral vessels. 
ISTephridia .—Very numerous nephridial canals of small size ramify 
through the tissues of the head. Back of the brain these canals unite 
into one or more branched longitudinal canals which extend at least 
as far back as the posterior end of the esophageal region. In Geo- 
nemertes chalicophora, Bolimig (’98, p. 512) found the nephridial 
canals throughout the whole length of the body, and it is possible 
that this ma}^ also be the condition in the species at hand. If so, 
the canals are all of small size in the posterior half of the body, and 
much less conspicuous than in the head and esophageal region. 
In the anterior half of the body the nephridial tubules branch 
profusely both above and below the lateral nerves, the finer 
branches terminating in “ flame cells ” situated in the body paren¬ 
chyma, as Burger (’91) has so fully described for Drepanophorus 
and other Hoplonemertea. 
Dendy (’92) observed these flame cells in G. anstraliensis, but 
apparently overlooked the nephridial canals with which they are 
connected, and was unable to find any efferent nephridial ducts 
satisfactory. It should be noted that 
