1911] Cole, Trematode Parasite of English Sparrow. 43 



many of the cysts an interesting structure which was common 

 to all of them, namely, a small black spot, which is in reality a 

 minute opening communicating with the interior of the cyst. 

 That this was in reality such an opening was made evident in 

 the case of one specimen which was laid in the ice box over night. 

 When this specimen was examined the folowing morning a small 

 quantity of a dark, almost black fluid was observed oozing from 

 these pores on many of the cysts. Under the microscope this was 

 plainly revealed to be a rather scanty serous fluid crammed with 

 the dark brown eggs of the parasite. 



Monostama faba has been known in Europe for more than 

 three-quarters of a century, but has been reported only at irregular 

 intervals, and apparently has never been found with much fre- 

 quency. It was first described and figured by Bremser (1831) 

 in the Tabula? anatomidm cutosoorum iUustrantes of Schmalz 

 from specimens found in the skin of a titmouse (Parus major) 

 by S. Th. v. Sommerring, while later Bremser obtained it from 

 one of the Old World warblers (Ficedula (Sylvia) sibiliatrix 

 Bechst.). He apparently described it also, in the same volume, 

 as Monostoma geminum, from the wag-tail (Motacilla boarula 

 L.). 3 A few years later Miescher (183$) reported the species 

 as "tolerably frequent" on the domestic sparrow (Passer domes- 

 ticus L.) at Basel. 4 At about the same time Creplin (1839) 

 reported it from Germany on another of the Sylviidw. These two 

 authors did much toward clearing up the understanding of the 

 anatomy of the parasite, especially of the digestive and excretory 

 systems, but mistook the yolk glands for the ovaries and were 

 in disagreement as to the male reproductive organs. From this 

 time little was added to the knowledge of this form till Willemoes- 

 Suhm (1873), more than 30 years later, obtained it on the wheat- 

 ear (Saxicola wnanthe) in Germany. This writer gives the first 

 hint, so far as I can find, of the possible life cycle of Monstoma 

 faba. He confirms the earlier observations, that the parasites 

 usually occur two together in the cysts, with their ventral sides 

 opposed, and states that the small pore through the cyst wall 



3) Teste Creplin (1S39). I have not had access to the original 

 descriptions in Schmalz. 



4) Dr S Graenicher of the Milwaukee Public Museum informs me 

 that at Basel, in 1S85 (nearly 50 years after Miescher's observations), his 

 attention was called to the frequency of what was apparently this same 

 parasite on the sparrows of that city. 



