656 Notices of Irish Entozoa. 



recollected it as an old acquaintance which I had repeatedly 

 dislodged from small, white, vescicular tumors, common on 

 the outer surface of the stomach of the codling and young 

 coal fish. 



On farther examination I was surprised at finding four dif- 

 ferent specimens joined in the strictest union to an Entozoon 

 of a very different appearance, the caudal end of the one be- 

 ing firmly coalesced, and continuous with that of the other, 

 without any mark or appearance whatever, to indicate that 

 they had ever existed separately. Had this happened in but 

 one, or even two instances, it might perhaps be attributed to 

 some fortuitous circumstance ; but occurring in four cases, it 

 appeared to me to be something beyond what could readily 

 happen in the chapter of accidents. 



In referring to Fig. 32; b represents the two Entozoa unit- 

 ed, and slightly magnified, and it will at once be apparent 

 that the two individuals are of a very different conformation 

 from each other ; ft, it is obvious, is depressed, and at least 

 half as broad as it is long, while o is cylindrical, and much 

 longer than broad. On examining specimens of n which lay 

 in the intestine distinct and unconnected with o, the most re- 

 markable character which they presented was the terminal, 

 obcordate proboscis c, which was very often thrust out, and 

 again retracted to more than its own length within the body 

 of the animal. It was thickly ciliated with fine stiff hairs or 

 bristles, which projected beyond it at least its own length. — - 

 The margins of the animal were very various, being some- 

 times crenate, then, with several deep sinuosities, and some- 

 times quite even ; these differences depending on the various 

 states of muscular contraction. It had scarcely any appreci- 

 able progressive motion, though it could contract itself in 

 every possible direction. The colour of the whole was ex- 

 tremely white. 



With respect to the other animal in the separate state, its 

 head exhibited four large, cup-like bothria, in perpetual mo- 

 tion, and having a striking resemblance to those of Bothrio- 

 cephalus auriculatus, or of Both, corollatus, when the rostella 

 of the latter are unprotruded. The body was cylindrical, and 

 generally speaking had a bulbous outline at the posterior ex- 

 tremity ; it was white and semitransparent. 



The specimens thus ob served were placed in a weak solu- 

 tion of salt, and next day were quite alive. On washing one 

 of them with fresh water, and placing it under the microscope, 

 the animal, to my great surprise, threw out from the front of 

 the head four long, beautiful, crystalline rostella, armed with 

 numerous hooks, in all respects similar to the rostella of the 



