Notes 39.-) 



From these observations there is no evidence to show that Agriolimax 

 agrestis and Arion circumscriphis act as intermediate hosts for Moniezia 

 expansa and Cittotaenia pectinata. It was thought that possibly the 

 eggs might undergo some alteration in the intestine which though 

 not apparent might influence their development in other slugs. The 

 slugs' faeces which were full of eggs were offered to other specimens 

 of these slugs but in no case would they eat them. 



It is clear that both slugs eat tapeworms on the field. May they 

 not act much more as scavengers than we are in the habit of thinking 

 and do far more good in these fields than we imagine? What is the 

 reason of the abundance of such slugs in these fields? It is quite 

 conceivable that they are there because of the abundance of this Cestode 

 food of which they are so fond. 



REFERENCES. 



RiEHM, G. (1881). "Studien an Cestoden." Zeit. f. d. ges. Naturwiss. Halle, 54 Bd. 

 Grassi and Rovblli (1892). "Ricerche Embriologiche sui Cestodi." Atti Ace. Cjoenia 



di Sc. Nat. in Catania, vol. iv, ser. 4. 

 Stiles, C. W. and Hassall, A. "Revision of the Adult Cestodes of Sheep and Allied 



Animals." U.S. Dep. of Agric. Bureau of Animal Investig. Bull. No. 4, Washington. 



MARIE V. LEBOUR, M.Sc. (University of Leeds), F.Z.S., 



Research Department in Agricultural Zoology, 



Birmingham University. 



NOTE ON THE REMARKABLE RETENTION OF VITALITY 

 BY PROTOZOA FROM OLD STORED SOILS. 



Introduction. 



In the sample house at the Rothamsted Experimental Station, 

 Harpenden, there is a remarkable collection of soils taken from the 

 experimental plots at various times since the commencement of the 

 famous work by Lawes and Gilbert in 1843. These samples have 

 been stored in bottles the corks of which have been covered with leaden 

 capsules and have thus been insured against the possibihty of infection 

 from dust. Many bottles have remained unopened since the day 

 on which they were put up. The exact treatment to which the soils 

 were submitted before being bottled is rather uncertain, but it seems 



26—5 



