JOURNAL OF THE PROCEEDINGS 



LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON, 



Synopsis of the DisfomidcB. By T. SpEifCER Cobbold, 

 M.D., F.L.S. 



[Eead June 16th, 1859.] 



Preliminary Bemarks. — lu offering the present communication 

 to the Society, I design, if possible, to supply a deficiency in the 

 helminthological literature of this country, and by references to 

 facilitate the recognition of specific forms of Entozoa . With a view 

 also of rendering this contribution something more than a mere ca- 

 talogue, I shall allocate under their respective generic types such new 

 forms as may be legitimately regarded as distinct, as well as several 

 undescribed or hitherto imperfectly known species. At the same 

 time, it is my intention, so far as our very limited knowledge on 

 this head goes, to refer to their proper adult types some of the 

 numerous Cercarice, or larval indi\'idualities, usually classified as 

 independent organisms. "WTiile continental periodicals teem with 

 lengthened memoirs in this special and, in some respects, peculiar 

 department of Zoology, comparatively few and meagre are the 

 additions that have emanated from ourselves. To the Sydenham 

 Society and Dr. Lankester we are indebted for the issue of Dr. 

 Kiichenmeister's work on the " Parasites of the Human Body," 

 its value being considerably enhanced by Prof. Huxley's trans- 

 lation of C. T. Von Siebold's Essay on the " Tape- and Cystic 

 Worms," appended to the second volume. In respect of original 

 contributions, I have great satisfaction in pointing to valuable 

 papers by Dr. Baird, Prof. Huxley, Dr. Nelson, Professors Busk, 

 Allen Thomson, Harley, Quekett, Gamgee, and a few others ; 

 whilst our more sustained compositions are represented by Dr, 



LIXN. PHOC. — ZOOLOGY. 1 



