Dr. O^Bryen Bellingham on Irish Entozoa. 337 



[Monostoma ocreatum *. Small intestine of mole (Talpa euro- 



pma).'] 



[ trigonocephalum \ . Stomach of turtle {Chelonia im- 



bricata) ] 



became contracted and curved, the abdominal surface apparently 

 forming the concavity. Three rows of little prominences are seen 

 upon the convex surface, which run parallel to ohe another from one 

 extremity of the body to the other ; the lateral margins of the body 

 are subpellucid, inflexed in some.' The pore is orbicular and very 

 small. On the abdominal surface there is the appearance of tw^o 

 parallel vessels running through the greater part of the body. 



The specimens of Monostoma verrucosum from the pochard {Fuli- 

 gulaferina) are larger than those from the shoveller duck ; the pro- 

 minences upon the dorsal surface are also better marked, and can be 

 seen with the naked eye. When first removed from the animal and 

 placed in water, they become curved : the prominences being upon 

 the convex surface, and the anterior pore projecting outside, gave 

 them the appearance of little hedgehogs. Their colour is yellowish 

 red or a dirty yellow ; after they had lain for twelve hours in water 

 they changed to white, and many unrolled themselves and became 

 flat. In several there is the appearance of a posterior pore, which is 

 not quite terminal and not prominent : in others this is wanting. 



The specimens from the bald-coot (Fulica atra) resemble those 

 from the shoveller duck in almost every respect. From the anterior 

 pore the two white lines resembling vessels (before mentioned) are 

 seen to run backwards, parallel to one another, in their course pass- 

 ing through the ovaries, which fill the thicker portion of the body, 

 and to approach each other near the posterior extremity. 



* The Monostoma ocreatum, though it cannot be considered an 

 Irish species, as the mole {Talpa europcea), in which alone it is found, 

 is not a native of this country, is a very beautiful species, and diflfers 

 remarkably from the two last-described species, which occur only in 

 the caeca of birds. The specimens which I possess are about an inch in 

 length (Rudolphi says it sometimes attains the length of two inches) 

 and about half a line in breadth ; in one a knot has formed upon the 

 body, as we sometimes see in the Tcenia ; the greater part of the body 

 has a reddish brown colour, owing to the contents of the ovaries 

 being seen through the parietes. The body is sublinear, rather flat- 

 tened than cylindrical ; it increases suddenly in diameter near the 

 posterior extremity ; indeed this part has somewhat the shape of a 

 boot (^ocrea), from which circumstance it has received its name. 



t The Monostoma trigonocephalum, which inhabits the stomach of 

 the turtle, cannot either be regarded as an Irish species ; but as the 

 turtle has occasionally been thrown upon the English coast, and is 

 included in Jenyns's ' Manual of British Vertebrate Animals,' this 

 species of Entozoon has an equal claim to be considered as British. 

 It is about three lines in length and nearly a line in breadth ; colour 

 dirty white after remahiing in spirits of wine ; the head is distinct 



Ann. ^ Mag. N. Hist. Vol. xiii. Z 



