258 Kansas Academy of Science. 



The control kittens, which were kept in the experimental 

 cages, but not fed cysticerci, did not contain a tapeworm, while 

 seven of the eight kittens that were fed Cysticercus pisiformis 

 became infected with tapeworms, all of which agree with T. 

 pisiformis in number and size of rostellar hooks, and two speci- 

 mens agree so closely with this species that they are considered 

 by the authors to be slightly immature specimens of T. pisi- 

 formis Bloch. 



To ascertain in what part of the digestive tract evagination 

 of the cysticerci occurs, kitten 26 was given ten of these cysts 

 on the morning of July 24. Upon examination five and one- 

 half hours later, four young tapeworms (evaginated cysti- 

 cerci) were found in the posterior part of the duodenum, at- 

 tached to its wall. The remaining six cysts were in the 

 stomach still in the invaginated condition. Thus it is obvious 

 that the evagination of Cysticercus pisiformis occurs in the 

 duodenum of the young cat. 



The larval form of this tapeworm develops occasionally in 

 hares and in mice, but it is well known that its usual inter- 

 mediate host is the cottontail. Considering the abundance of 

 the latter and the large numbers of cats that have been ex- 

 amined for parasitic worms, it is evident that T. pisiformis 

 rarely develops in the cat. However, this may be accounted 

 for in part by the fact that after the young cottontail has eaten 

 the tapeworm onchospheres, from six weeks to two months are 

 required for the cysticerci to develop, and by this time the 

 cottontails are usually large enough to evade the cat. 



This cestode is sufficiently generalized to develop also in the 

 fox, ;md Benoit-Bazille and Dramard' report it (under the 

 name of T. serrata Goeze) from the. tiger. On the other hand, 

 evidences of specialization are not lacking. Several attempts 

 to infect man have failed, according to Hall,- who ingested 

 three cysticerci of this species with negative results, and 

 Scott's" attempt to infect swine likewise failed. 



1. Benoit-Bazille, H., and Dramard, J. 1905. Deux nouveaux parasites du ligre 

 royal. Naturaliste, (2) 28:10. 



2. Hall, M. C. 1914. Experimental Ingestion by Man of Cysticerci of Carnis^ore 

 Tapeworms. Jour. Parasit., 1:5-9. 



3. Scott, J. W. 1913. The Viability of Certain Cysticerci in Pigs and in Youns: Dcitr> 

 Science, N. S., .T7:263. 



