84 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL. MUSEUM vol.88 



instances tends to taper from the middle toward the posterior end, 

 G, ■finibriatus as a rule maintains a uniform breadth back of the 

 ventral sucker and is bluntly rounded at the posterior end. There 

 are, however, many contraction shapes in both species, so that it is 

 difficult to fit descriptions to them. 



The ova are rather thin-shelled, and are much collapsed in all the 

 balsam mounts. In six distomes, averaging 3.49 mm. in length, the 

 average distance of the posterior end of the seminal vesicle from 

 the ventral sucker was 0.78 mm. and from the ovary 0.074 nmi. 



Host. — Kingfish {Menticirrhiis saxatilis). 



Record of collections. — One (U.S.N.M. No. 8266), collected Sep- 

 tember 11, 1907. Measurements, life: Length, 1.28 mm.; breadth, 

 0.60 mm. ; diameter of oral sucker, 0.12 nun., of pharynx, 0.07 mm., 

 of ventral sucker, 0.028 mm. ; ova, 0.061 by 0.034 mm. 



One, collected September 8, 1909; length, 4 mm. 



Three, collected June 29, 1910; one, collected July 7, 1910; seven, 

 collected July 27, 1910. When first examined these distomes had 

 been lying in sea water for several hours. They were, with one 

 exception, turgid, longest 7 mm. One, still active, was yellowish 

 green by transmitted light, crossed by fine, transverse wrinkles; 

 length, 1.9 mm., breadth, 0.70 mm. After flattening under cover- 

 glass, length, 3.7 mm. ; breadth, 0.84 mm. 



Two, collected August 10, 1910. One, collected October 31, 1912; 

 turgid, neck reflected at right angles to body; length, 3.5 nun. in 

 formalin. Two, collected September 23, 1914; length, 2.5 mm. and 

 3 mm. Three, collected July 21, 1926, macerated. 



Genus LEPOCREADIUM Stossich, 1906 



LEPOCREADIUM PYRIFORME (Linton) 



Plate 5, Figures 47-^ 



Distoninm pi/nfornic Linton, Bull. U. S. Fish Comm. for 1899, pp. 292, 293, 

 figs. 52-59, 1900 (from PaUnurichthys perciformis) ; iMd., pp. 453, 458, fig. 

 346 (Distomum sp.), 1901. 



To this species are referred certain small distomes which, although 

 differing in many details of structure, resemble each other sufficiently 

 to warrant their inclusion in the same specific grouping when allow- 

 ance is made for such differences as may be accounted for by varying 

 conditions of contraction and age. In general they are small, spinose 

 distomes, with suckers about the same size, pharynx small, pre- 

 pharynx and esophagus present; genital pore in front of ventral 

 sucker to left of median line; prostate and first seminal vesicle en- 

 closed in cirrus pouch; a second seminal vesicle connected with the 

 cirrus pouch by a short vas deferens, often masked by the ova; 

 testes, one following the other; ovary in front of first testis, not 



