Notices of Irish Entozoa. 



577 



rest. When the saline fluid is poured off, and fresh water 

 put in its place, they swell, and in a great measure get un- 

 twisted ; but if they have been very numerous, some will still 

 remain so ravelled that it will be found impossible to disen- 

 tangle them. 



I have only farther to remark that notwithstanding the ap- 

 parent delicacy of this species, it is capable of bearing a great 

 strain before it will break ; but in it, and several other species, 

 we may remark that the posterior joints, when the ova are 

 fully developed, will separate almost by a touch, while the 

 rest of the animal will resist a force far beyond what we could 

 expect. As the seeds of a plant, when perfected, are easily 

 dispersed by any external agency, or by the mechanism of the 

 seed-vessel itself, so the joints of this and various other Ces- 

 toidea are ready to drop off when ripe, and being carried 

 abroad, their ova may be hatched into active life and being, 

 whenever they happen to be cast on a situation congenial to 

 their nature. 



b, c, Head of Bo- 

 thriocephalus punc- 

 tatus, in various 

 forms. 



A number of joints 

 amalgamated their 

 septa having disap- 

 peared. 



Ova filled with gra- 

 nules. 

 The figures are all 

 magnified more or 

 less. 



Bothriocephalus punctatus, Rud. 

 (To be continued). 



Belfast, Sept. 24th, 1838. 



3 l4 



