66 



NOTICES OF IRISH ENTOZOA. 



the largest are three lines in length, and a line in breadth 

 across the thickest part of the body. The proboscis is coni- 

 cal, armed with very numerous recurved hooks, rounded an- 

 teriorly ; the neck in some is retracted, when fully protruded 

 it is about the length of the head, smaller where it joins the 

 head, and increasing in diameter posteriorly ; it is unarmed. 

 The body is thick and somewhat globular anteriorly, gradu- 

 ally diminishing in diameter as it approaches the posterior 

 extremity. It is armed, especially anteriorly, with innumera- 

 ble minute recurved hooks, which are much smaller than 

 those on the head ; some specimens are armed from one end 

 of the body to the other, others are unarmed near the poste- 

 rior end. The body in the female is rounded posteriorly, and 

 has a very small yellowish spot at its extremity. The male 

 is not so long as the female, but as wide anteriorly. Two 

 vessels appear through the parietes of the neck, running into 

 the body, where they are lost." 



This species is beautifully figured in Bremser's seventh 

 plate, Jig. 22 — 23, but the proboscis is there represented more 

 conical than I have seen it. It has, so far as my information 

 extends, been hitherto found only in the following birds : — 

 by Bremser in the Pelecanus Carbo; by Dr. Bellingham in 

 the same ? and in Carbo cristatus, Mergus serrator; and Po- 

 diceps ruficollis ? and by myself in the Mergus Merganser, 



ECHINORHYNCHUS JMcollis, Rud. 



" Proboscidis (semper latentis) receptaculo magno sphserico, collo filifor- 

 mi, corpore oblongo utrinque obtusissimo." — Rud. ' Syn.' p. 71. 



Echinorhynchus fillcollis, Rudolphi. 



(a) Echinorhynchus fllicollis in its natural or corrugated state, adhering to the coat of the in- 

 testine, (b) a specimen distended with water, and separated from its connections, (c) head mag- 

 nified, {d) head with part of it removed by a vertical section, shewing the thick central pillar 

 surmounted by the umbo. 



Rudolphi mentions this species as having been observed in 

 the wild duck, the tufted duck (Fuligula crislata), the sum- 

 mer duck {Anas sponsa), the eider duck (Anas mollissima), 

 and the bald coot {Fulica atra). Dr. Bellingham has found 

 it in the wild duck and the tufted duck ; from which latter 



