Ei)d()par(isifr'.s froii) CJuel'ciis. 245 



The cirrus pouch is more globular than in D. /jrof/Iofttna. and 

 the contained cirrus, which is armed with spines, may be ex- 

 truded to a length of .148 mm. from the body. The eggs are 

 more or less isolated, the parent parenchyma being arranged so 

 as to form thin fibrous capsules with a membrane enclosing the 

 eggs singly or in groups of two to (rarely) thirteen ; the ova 

 are .018 to .020 mm. in diameter. Egg-capsules containing two 

 ova may be .0325 to .050 mm. in extreme length. Hooks of the 

 oncosphere .006 to .008 mm. long. 



The histological details of these specimens were extremely 

 hard to make out, owing in great measure to the number of large 

 yellowish concretions up to .012 mm. by .0078 mm. in size. The 

 cuticle is .004 to .006 mm. in thickness. 



The life-history is unknown. 



The variations met with in the general shape of the strobila, 

 and in the relative stage of development reached by the two sets 

 of reproductive organs, in the individual segments, suggest the 

 possibility of there being two species represented in thi|s 

 material, but I have been unable to detect any differences of 

 specific value, and hence can only regard this as a very variable 

 form, probably undergoing evolutionary development from the 

 Northern Hemisphere form, D. proglottina, into one or two 

 more new species. 



With regard to the condition of the hosts, I have received the 

 following note from Professor Gilruth : — ^" The parasites were 

 found in two chickens, each a few months old, which were 

 received at the laboratory for examination, from the suburbs of 

 Melbourne. One was a pure Orpington, the other a Plymouth 

 Rock. Both fowls were suffering from diarrhoea, and were 

 emaciated. On post mortem examination the posterior half of 

 the duodenal loop was found to be affected with muco-enteritis, 

 the contents being of a whitish mucoid nature. Amongst this 

 material were a large number of minute parasites, apparently a 

 small species of " Taenia,'' also two or three larger cestodes. 

 The intestines of both chickens were congested, but in one they 

 were empty, while in those of the other, the " Plymouth Rock." 

 there was a large quantity of the mucoid material present, 

 similar to that noted in the duodenum " 



