226' DE. T. S. COBBOLD OX THE PAEASITES OF ELEPHANTS. 



make fresh finds, it may be said that the first helminth discovered to infest the Elephant 

 is just that very species about whose structure and economy we are least informed. 



2. Scleeostoma siPUNCTJLiFORME, Baird. (Plate XXIII. figs. 1, 2, & 0, 7, 8.) 



S. sipunculiforme, Baird, Proceed. Zool Soc. 1859, p. 427; also P. Z. S. 1868, p. 262 (with figures). 



Body smooth, with extremely fine transverse striae, sipunculiform, thickset. Head 

 distinct, separated from the body by a distinct neck or constriction. Mouth circular, 

 armed with numerous upright denticles arranged in two rows, with four larger teeth, one 

 on either side, and one in front and behind, springing from between the denticle-rings. 

 Bursa longer than broad, apparently supporting twenty rays, the anterior ray being 

 doable, the posterior ray quadruple, its innermost division supporting two rudimentary 

 branches of unequal size; posterior lateral ray short. Spicules equal, long, straight, 

 and narrow. Tail of the female obliquely truncate, the extremity conical and suddenly 

 tuxmed backwards. Reproductive outlet immediately above a projecting lobe or tubercle 

 in front of the tail. Anus situated in a deep hollow at the base of the cone-shaped end 

 of the tail. 



Length of male nearly 1 inch (11 lines). 

 Length of female above 1 inch (14 lines). 



Hah. Intestines of JElephas indicus. 



If this description be compared with that given by Dr. Baird, it will be seen that our 

 records differ in several important particulars. As regards the position of the repro- 

 ductive outlet of the female, I have relied upon his authority ; but in respect of other 

 characters, especially those of a microscopic kind, my interpretations of the facts observed 

 are wholly different. 



As the study of the helminth-fauna of Elephants is in its infancy, it is necessary to be 

 precise in the few details at my command. According to Baird the body is " cylindrical 

 in shape, thicker in the middle, tapering towards each extremity, and finely striated 

 across, though the stria; are rather distant from each other." This is correct, except 

 that Baird's description of the distant stria; must, I think, refer to two or more rings in 

 the neighbourhood of the neck, since the ordinary stria; placed between these rings and 

 all over the body are excessively delicate markings. They cannot be clearly seen under 

 low magnifying powers ; and therefore I have not attempted to represent them in my 

 enlarged representation of the neck and head. In respect of the head itself, Baird says 

 it is " rather large, cylindrical, about one line in length, thicker than the neck, and 

 separated from it by a distinct line or groove. This groove I find to be succeeded by 

 other similar rings below it ; and as they are tolerably distant from each other, I think 

 Dr. Baird must have referred to them when he spoke of the stria? as being rather widely 

 separated. The remainder of his description of the head stands as follows : — " The 

 mouth is orbicular, placed in the centre of the truncated part of the head, and 

 surrounded with two homy capsules or bullae, the limbs or mai'gins of which are each 

 armed with a row of numerous teeth. The limb of the external capsule is the larger of 

 the two, and the teeth, though numerous, are less so than in the internal limb, and are 

 stronger and pointed outwards. The limb of the inner capsule is much smaller, the teeth 



