natural, history

thicker and protuberant into gut lumen for se~eral segments in several places, and inone such resembling a very small typhlosole. When black pigment flecks are common~ on prostates, spermathecae and seminal vesicles, more of the same sort of flecks arepresent in the band-iike thickening in the roof of the intestine.The single heart of ix is on the right side (4), on the left side (2), or both heartsare present (3). Hearts are also present in x, xi, xii but not in xiii (8), left heartof xii lacking (1). Digitiform lymph glands are present, at least from xvii or xviiiposteriorly.Testis sacs are paired, widely separated mesially, vertically placed and large enoughto reach up, in both x and xi, to the level of the dorsal surface of the gut. The vesiclesof xi which are included in the posterior sacs and are surrounded on three sides bytesticular coagulum are rather small, flattened against the septum and with an unusuallylong digitiform dorsal ampulla. The seminal vesicles of xii are of about the samesize. A central portion of each vesicle in one worm was filled with a brown granulardebris from ventral to dorsal end. The prostates extend through some or all of xviixxi.The prostatic duct is slender but with obvious sheen and is variously looped ortwisted.Spermathecae are rather small and the duct is usually shorter than the ampulla.The diverticulum is shorter than the main axis and usually is slightly shorter than theduct into which it passes close to the parietes more anteriorly than posteriorly. Thediverticulum may be slightly sinuous ectally and is slightly widened entally, slenderlyclub-shaped, the spermatozoal iridescence confined to a small terminal portion orextending all the way down to the duct.No glandular material is visible over sites of the genital markings nor within themusculature of the body wall, the markings presumably only areas of epidermalmodification.Abnormality. Absence ofspermathecae ofix in two specimens has already beenmentioned above. Otherwise those worms appeared to be normal. Several specimenshave, in the)ntestinal region, one or more spiral abnormalities in metamerism. Oneis about ten segments in front of the anal region.Re rna r k s. The last three or four segments, in two juveniles with 83 and 84 metameres,were quite small, lacked setae, and obviously were still incompletely differentiated.Pieces oflittle stems or midribs, 6-8 mm. long were found in the intestinal contents.Septum 8/9 appeared to be present in the first worm opened but was quite unrecognizableafter the pinning out had been completed and in the other six specimens.If present the septum is so very delicate it was almost completely destroyed in openingthe animals in spite of the special care that was exercised in the later dissections.Brilliant iridescence on each male funnel and in the spermathecal diverticulaindicates that these worms were collected during a period of sexual activity, i. e., ofmutual exchange (in copulation) of sperm. Testis sacs are distended with a soft coagulumand a firmer white material is present in spermathecal ampullae. Neverthelessseminal vesicles arc only medium sized or smaller and in both xi and xii appear tyavelittle importance in development of the male gametes. Loss of the spermathec3$l of an16