Professor Ehlers har i det nys citerede Tidsskrift 
- Jeveret en særdeles god monographisk Bearbeidelse af Slæg- 
ten Priapulus, hvortil Priapuloides i mange Henseender 
slutter sig. Vore histologiske Undersøgelser over begge 
disse Slægter have i enkelte Punkter ledet til Resultater, 
der ere noget forskjellige fra dem, Ehlers er kommen til 
over Priapulus, og om end Afvigelserne ikke ere meget 
store, skulle vi dog fremhæve dem. 
Ved Huden omtaler Ehlers et subcuticulart Lag, der 
ligger indenfor Chitinlaget, og som efter ham bestaar af et 
finkornet Lag, hvori ingen Celler tydelig kunde sees, og 
* som ligger imellem Ringmusklerne og Chitinhuden. Vi have 
_fundet constant et temmelig udpræget Epithellag indenfor 
Chitinhuden, bestaaende af Cylinderceller; dette Epithellag 
er fæstet til et stærkt Bindevævslag, hvortil Muskelhuden 
er bunden. Det synes, som om Prof. Ehlers ganske har 
overseet dette Bindevævslag, hvis ikke han har antaget det 
finkornede Subeuticularlag derfor. 
De paa Snabelens ydre Flade siddende Pigge ere om- 
givne af en Skede, Fig. 11, a, 12, a, der er en Forlæn- 
gelse af Chitinhuden; kun er Skeden kortere hos Priapulus 
end hos Priapuloides. Den hule Pig har i Spidsen en 
Aabning, Fig. 11. 0, 12, 0, og er indvendig beklædt med 
et Hpithel, Fig. 11, ¢, Continuation af Hudens Epithellag, 
ligesom der ved Grunden af Piggen er en Kjertel med sin 
Udførselsgang, Fig. 11, d. Ehlers omtaler hverken Skeden 
eller Kjertelen, ei heller Aabningen i Piggens Ende, hvor- 
igjennem Kjertelsekretet udføres. 
Cuticula (Chitinlaget) er hos Priapuloides tæt besat 
med koniske Chitinpapiller, imedens den hos Priapulus er 
glat. 
Folderne paa Tarmrørets indre Flade dannes af frem- 
springende Bindevævslister, hvortil Hpithelet er fæstet. 
Dette bestaar af meget lange Cylinderceller, der sandsyn- 
.ligvis ere forsynede med Cilier. Imellem Cylindercellerne 
saaes seregne Celler, som vi have antaget for Slimkjertler. 
Ehlers angiver, at den indre Flade af Tarmen paa Pria- 
pulus har et Chitinovertrek, der efter ham skal være en 
Fortsættelse af den ydre Huds Chitinlag, og at dette Chi- 
tinovertræk ikke alene danner Tarmfolderne; men at det i 
den midterste Tarmdel er forsynet med lange, stive Chi- 
tinhaar. 4 
Vi have tidligere angivet, at vi paa Tarmens indre 
Flade af et Exemplar af Priapuloides, ligesom vi ogsaa paa 
et Exemplar af Priapulus saa noget; der kunde antages for 
en tynd Chitinhud med de nævnte Haar; men det viste sig 
ved nærmere Undersøgelse at være et Overtræk dannet af 
coaguleret Slim. De Cilier, vi have iagttaget paa Tarm- 
epithelet, vare indenfor den omtalte og af Ehlers antagne 
Chitinhud, hvilket end mere bestyrker os i, at denne ikke 
kan være andet end en Tilfældighed. 
I. 
Professor Ehlers has lately furnished, in the Journal 
cited above, a most excellent monographic review of the 
genus Priapulus, with which Priapuloides in many respects 
is found to congrue. Our histological investigation of both 
genera has been attended with results deviating slightly in 
certain points from those of Ehlers for Priapulus; and 
though the difference is not considerable, it will be well 
to point out wherein the observations that have led to it 
diverge. 
Professor Ehlers describes a subcuticular layer in the 
skin, underlying the chitinöus layer, and which consists of 
a finely granulous stratum — in which no cells could be 
readily distinguished — extending between the annular mus- 
cles and the chitinous cuticle. We have found, as a 
constant feature, underneath the chitinous integument a 
comparatively well developed epithelial layer, consisting of 
cylindrical cells; this epithelial layer is attached to a layer 
of strong connective tissue, webbed to the muscular integu- 
ment. Professor Ehlers would appear to have overlooked 
altogether this layer of connective tissue, unless indeed it is 
this which he terms the finely granulous subcuticular layer. 
The spikes on the outer surface of the proboscis are 
enclosed in a sheath, figs. 11, a; 12, a, — the chitinous 
integument produced; but the sheath is shorter in Pria- 
pulus than in Priapuloides. The hollow spikes have each 
an aperture at the point, figs. 11, b; 12, b; and are in- 
vested on the inner surface with epithelium, fig. It, ¢, —a 
continuation of the epithelial layer of the skin; and more- 
over, there is at the base of every spike a gland, , furnished 
with an excretory duct, fig. 11, d. Ehlers mentions neither 
the sheath, the gland, nor the aperture at the pointed ex- 
tremity of the spike through which exudes the glandulous 
secretion. 
The cuticle (chitinous layer) m Priapuloides is dense- 
ly «studded with conical chitinous papille, whereas it is 
smooth in Priapulus. 
The folds on the surface of the 
canal consist of prominent membranous fillets, attached to 
the epithelium. The latter consists of exceedingly large 
cylindrical cells, furnished probably with vibratile cilia. 
Between the cylindrical cells were seen other cells, pos- 
sibly mucous glands. According to Ehlers, the inner sur- 
face of the intestine in Priapulus is invested with a chit- 
inous tunic, a continuation, as he conceives, of the chitinous 
layer in the outer integument; and in his opinion, this 
chitinous tunic not only produces the folds of the intestine, 
but is furnished on the medial portion of the latter with 
long, bristly chitinous capillaments. 
We have previously stated, that we, too, detected 
on the inner surface of the intestine in a specimen of Pria- 
puloides, and also in a specimen of Priapulus, what might 
be taken for a thin chitinous skin, bearing such capilla- 
ments; but, on closer examination, it proved to be coag- 
ulated mucus. The cilia we have observed on the in- 
testinal epithelium, occurred underneath Ehlers’ supposed 
chitinous integument, a circumstance affording additional 
strictly casual. 
inner intestinal 
proof of the feature in question being 
ox 
ae 
