24 RECORDS OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



Acoleus 5 ". A further study shows it to he a member of this 

 genus. As already noted, the specific name ragosa is preoccupied 

 in the genus Tamia, having been used by Pallas in 1760, for a 

 tapeworm from certain fish, and by Diesing in 1850 for a Cestode 

 from a monkey. A new specific name hedleyi was therefore 

 suggested for this Entozoon which will now be described under 

 the name of Acoleus hedleyi. 



This parasite is a large multi-segmented worm of about 230 

 mm. in length, with a maximum breadth of nearly 4 mm. At 

 the anterior end is the scolex which is scarcely any wider than 

 the succeeding segments, being - 7 mm. in breadth. The length 

 excluding the rostellum is about 034 mm. Owing to the fact 

 that the rostellum is completely withdrawn in the single scolex 

 in my possession, very little can be said of it or of its armature 

 The suckers have a diameter of - 26 mm., the apertures being 

 directed almost anteriorly. There is no unsegmented neck region, 

 segmentation being recognisable immediately behind the head. 

 The first proglottis is about - 6 mm. wide by 0"065 mm long, 

 the ratio of breadth to length being approximate]}' 9:1. At 

 17 mm. from the anterior end the strobila becomes much broader, 

 the posterior margins of the segments now projecting prominently 

 whereas in the case of the first few segments the projection is 

 slight. At 10 mm. the breadth is nearly 3 mm. the length being 

 043, the ratio being 7:1. At 70 mm. behind the scolex the 

 breadth is 3 - 6 mm. the length having increased to 17 mm., the 

 ratio thus being about 2 : 1. At 100 mm., the dimensions are 

 3*8 mm. and 2 - 4 respectively, i.e. nearly 3 : 2, while at 150 mm. 

 they are 4 - 2 and 2*5 respectively. The final segments are very 

 thick (22 mm.) more or less quadrate structures 3-5 mm. broad 

 by 3*0 mm. long. The increase in thickness takes place as 

 maturity progresses. 



Body-wall, Musculature, etc. — Below the thin cuticle is a well 

 defined subcuticular layer with circular and longitudinal muscle 

 fibres. The musculature of the parenchyma is very similar tn 

 that of Acoleus vagiuatns, and Gyrocozlia perversa, as described 

 by Fuhrmann 68 . The most external of the system is a mass of 

 transverse muscle fibres within which are the powerful bundles 

 of the outer series of longitudinal muscle. Within the latter is 

 a very strongly developed layer of transverse fibres which in 

 their turn surround the inner longitudinal series consisting of 

 very prominent bundles. Within this there is a third ring of 



» i Johnston— Journ. Hoy. Soc. N. S. Wales, xliv., 1910, p. 94. 

 «8 Fuhrmann Centr. Bakt., Abt. 1., xxvi., 1899, pp. 618, 621. 



