A NEW PEOLIFERATING LARVAL TAPEWORM FROM 



A PORCUPINE 



By Benjamin Schwartz 



Of the Zoological Division, Bureau of Animal Industry, U. S. Department of 



Agriculture 



Under date of January 13, 1924, A. H. Twitcliell, of Takotna, 

 Alaska, a correspondent of the Bureau of Biological Survey, for- 

 warded to that bureau from Ophir, Alaska, a portion of lung from a 

 porcupine containing tapeworm cysts, with the following comments : 



I am sending you by parcel post one box containing a piece of lung of a 

 porcupine with what we believe to be cysts of a tapeworm. It is preserved in 

 salt brine. Collected by C. A. Fowler; data with specimen. We have many 

 of these porcupines on the range and I have suspected that they may be the 

 source from which our deer get some of their parasites. I did not see this 

 one, but only took the bottled specimen and shipped it. Tapeworms and other 

 worms are often found in great numbers in porcupines. I have never seen a 

 porcupine in this condition. 



The question of the probable specific identity of the host was re- 

 ferred to Dr. Hartley H. Jackson, of the Biological Survey, who re- 

 plied as follows: 



The porcupine of that region is probably Erethizon epixanthum myops 

 Merriam. At least you may be sure of the species Erethizon- epixanthum 

 Brandt. 



Examination of the material forwarded by Mr. Twitchell showed 

 two detached cysticerci and a number of cysticerci attached to the 

 lung tissue, some being attached directly to the lung by means of a 

 peduncle that penetrates into the lung tissue and others being at- 

 tached indirectly, the peduncles of the individual cysticerci converg- 

 ing to a more or less common origin from which a stalk penetrates 

 into the lung substance. Aside from the fact that the species has 

 been heretofore undescribed it is of particular interest in view of 

 the fact that it is a proliferating larval cestode, belonging to the 

 genus Taenia in which- group multiplication of larval forms by 

 means of budding is comparatively rare. 



TAENIA T>VITCHELLI, new species, 1924 



Strobilate tapeworm unknown. Cysticerci from 0.7 cm. long by 

 0.4 cm. wide to 2 cm. long by 0.6 cm. wide, occurring singly and in 



No. 2561. — Proceedings U. S. National Museum. Vol. 66. Art. 24. 



9117—24 1 



