48 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OP [1884. 



They are thicker anteriorly with the head end obtusely 

 rounded, and with the mouth minute and bounded by a 

 minute pair of conical lips. Tlie tail end of the female is straight 

 and blunt ; that of the male is more tapering, and is included in 

 an elliptical alary appendage, supported on each side by a row 

 of five curving ribs. A pair of similar, but shorter and straight 

 papillae is situated near the anal aperture ; and a pair of pointed 

 processes diverge from the end of the tail into the alary expanse. 

 Two species of Filaria have been previously observed in Strix 

 brachyotus, F. attenuata Rud., and F. foveata Schn., to neither of 

 which the specimens under examination appear to belong. These, 

 however, so closely accord with the descriptions of F. lahiata 

 Creplin, from the black stork, Giconia nigra, that, notwithstand- 

 ing the remote relationship in the host, the speaker believed them 

 to belong to that species. In the construction of the caudal 

 extremity of the male, they closely approximate the condition of 

 F. lahiata and F. horrida,as represented in the figures of Schnei- 

 der (Monographic der Nematoden), while they are widely differ- 

 ent from that of F. attenuata and F. foveata, as represented in 

 similar figures of the same work. 



Some notes on Manayunkia speciosa. — Prof. H. Carvill Lewis 

 read a communication from Miss S. G. Foulke, in which the 

 following statements were made : — 



In the worm Manayunkia speciosa, described and figured by 

 Prof. Leidy (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1883), the tentacular 

 crown, or branchial organ, is the feature of special interest. 



According to Dr. Leidy, the tentacles present in an adult are 

 eighteen in number, besides two larger and longer tentacles 

 situated midway between the two lophophores. These larger 

 tentacles are conspicuous by their bright green color, and are, in 

 fact, external continuations of the blood-vessels. extending length- 

 wise throughout the body. In shape, these tentacles taper from 

 base to apex, are convex on tiie outside, but concave on the side 

 which faces the centre of the tentacular crown ; so that a trans- 

 verse section would present the shape of a crescent. The two 

 edges thus formed are fringed with cilia. When closely watched, 

 the green tentacles are seen to pulsate with a rhythmical motion, 

 contracting and expanding longitudinally. The pulsation takes 

 place in each tentacle alternately. 



At the moment of contraction the tentacle turns slightly on its 

 axis, outwards and towards the end of the lophophore on that 

 side, at the same time giving a backward jerk, returning to its 

 former position at the moment of expansion. 



By force of the contraction, the gi-een blood filling the tentacle 

 is forced downwards out. of the tentacle, and flows along the 

 blood-vessel on that side of the body. On the expandiug of the 

 tentacle, the blood instantly returns and suffuses it, and thus 

 the process goes on. 



