OCR Text |
Show 220 MR. F. E. BEDDARD OX [Mar. 3, As will be seen from the accompanying drawing (text-fig. 38), the spermatopltore consists of a globular swelling followed by a long thin tube. The sperm, which appears blackish in glycerine preparations, is limited to the spherical or nearly spherical receptacle at the distal end of the case. The spermatophore, as will be Text-fig. 38. also apparent from the figure referred to, is of an elegant form, not precisely corresponding to that of the spermatlieca in which it lies. The swollen and globular receptacle of the sperm is not more than one-third of the length of the " stalk," which reaches down to the very mouth of the spermatlieca. At its termination the walls of the spermatophore project in a ring-like fashion ; a state of aftairs exactly recalling the spermatophores of the Tubificidae, and of the genus Stuhhnannia among the Eudrilidse. No doubt the shape is due to a moulding upon the walls of the spermatlieca; but the state of preservation of the specimens does not enable me to give details. The walls of the spermatophore appear to be firm and thick, and rather brittle in consistency. In teased preparations the rupture of the stalk was invariably a clean fracture. The walls are fibrous in appearance, and of the usual pale brown colour that is generally associated with chitinous membranes. The extremity of the tube, i. e. that which is nearest to the mouth of the spermatheca, is open ; the other end is quite blind. The |