ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 187 



Dibothriocephalus latus in Dogs.* — S. von Ratz discusses the pro- 

 blem of the presence of this parasite in dogs in Hungary, where it appears 

 to be not uncommon. 



Amitosis in Cestoda.f— C. M. Child gives the results of observations 

 •on the development of the gonads in Moniezia. These arise mainly by 

 amitotic division of nuclei in the syncytium of the parenchyma. A few 

 isolated instances of mitosis appear to occur, but they are comparatively 

 rare. The case here presented indicates the existence of a relation 

 between amitosis and nuclear activity ; and in general a relation between 

 amitosis and degeneration exists only in so far as in regions or periods 

 of intense nuclear activity many nuclei, in some cases perhaps all, are 

 likely to degenerate. The nuclear degeneration of the testis in Moniezia 

 is probably a case in point. The author further points out that there is 

 here an instance of cells which pass through a long history of amitotic 

 division, and are yet capable of giving rise to sexual cells. It is difficult 

 to see how the hypothesis of the individuality of the chromosomes can 

 be maintained. A study of the facts in Moniezia seems to indicate that 

 there is no fundamental and continuous distinction between tissue cell 

 and ?erm cell. 



& v 



Cestodes of Mammals.J — J. Bourquin discusses Bertia studeri E. 

 Blanchard, from the chimpanzee ; B. elongata sp. n., from Galeopithecus ; 

 and B. plastica (Sluiter) Stiles, from Galeopithecus. He gives a revised 

 diagnosis of the genus Bertia. 



Gonads of Taenia sinuosa§. — T. B. Rosseter describes the genital or- 

 gans of this tape-worm, which he obtained from the intestine of a duck 

 which he fed with cysticercoids from Ostracods. The spicules of this tape- 

 worm have led the author to the extraordinary conclusion that there is a 

 close affinity between Cestodes and Sponges. 



New Trematodes.|] — 0. Fuhrmann describes Botltriogaster variolar is, 

 the type of a new genus, from the gut of Rostrhamus sociaiilis, a South 

 American falcon ; Echinostomum armatum,a new species, from the same 

 animal, and which is different from those hitherto known from birds of 

 prey ; Ecltinostomum inerme, sp. n., from the stomach of an unknown 

 species of Lutra. 



Degeneration of Gonads in Starved Planarians.lf— F. Stoppenbrink 

 has experimented with Planaria alpina and P. gonocephala. The size 

 may be reduced by three-fourths in nine months of starving. The 

 gonads degenerate in the inverse order of their development, and the 

 general result formulated by Barfurth is confirmed, that the relatively 

 less important organs for self-preservation are first affected and most 

 seriously' reduced. 



* Centralbl. Bakt. Parasitenk., xxxvi. (1904) pp. 384-7. 



t Aiiat. Anzeig., xxv. (1904) No. 22, pp. 545-58. 



X Zool. Anzeig., xxviii. (190.")) pp. 417-19. 



§ Journ. Quekett Micr. Club, ix. (1904) pp. 81-90 (1 pi.). 



|| Centralbl. Bakt. Parasitenk., xxxvii. (1904) pp. 58-G4. 



1 Verh. Nat. Ver. Itkeinland, lxi. (1904) pp. 27-3G. 



o -2 



