l80 RESEARCHES IN HELMINTHOLOGY AND PARASITOLOGY. 



and window panes in the autumn through the agency of the 

 fungus known as the Spotrndoirma. The infested flies on the 

 mulberry tree were so numerous that perliaps a fourth of the foliage 

 of the lower boughs had from one to half a dozen of the flies adher- 

 ent to each leaf. The fly, though a familiar one, is unknown by 

 name to him. It resembles the house-fly, but is larger and has a 

 black abdomen with lateral whiti.sh spots. The fungus of a fu.scous 

 hue is especially evident in the extended intervals of the segments 

 of the abdomen along the sides of the thorax and at the neck. 

 Though extending to and attaching the flies to the leaves, the speci- 

 mens do not exhibit the zone of .spores on the leaf as commonh- 

 seen in those of infested house-flies. Microscopic examination ex- 

 hibited a similar structure of the fungus to that of the Sporcndo)icina 

 or Empiisa imisae. It mainly consists of translucent, cylindrical, 

 straight, or somewhat tort uotis rods or tubes of variable length with 

 rounded ends and containing homogeneous liquid with rows of oil- 

 like globules. Mingled with the tubes are numerous oval, ovoid, 

 and pyriform spore-like bodies, usually each with two oil-like glob- 

 ules. The spore-like bodies measure 0.028 to 0.036 mm. long by 

 0.016 mm. thick. The longer tubes measure usually up to 0.16 

 mm. long by 0.012 mm. thick. 



[January, 1884. Nos. 519, 522. See Bibliography.] 



Ant infected 7vith a Fungus. — Prof. Leidy exhibited an ant, Canipo- 

 7iotiis pennsylvanicHs, which was rigid, with limbs and antennae ex- 

 tended, as in life, in which condition it was found under the bark 

 of a decaying tree. It was infected with a fungus which spread 

 through ever}^ part of the body. 



Distoma and Filarial — Prof. Leidy directed attention to some par- 

 a.sitic worms presented this evening. Some of these were suppo.sed 

 to be leeches from the mouth of the alligator. Herodotus states that 

 the crocodile of the Nile has the inside of its mouth always beset 

 with leeches. The existence of the leech has been confirmed, and is 

 known as the Bdella ?iilotica. The present specimens, however, do 

 not belong to a leech, but pertain to a species of Distoma, appar- 

 ently not previously described. It may be named and be distin- 

 guished by the characters as follows : 



Distoma oricola. — Body elongated elliptical, moderately wider and 

 thicker posteriorly, and ending in a blunt, angular extremity, convex 

 dorsally and flat ventrally, unarmed, smooth or minutely wrinkled 

 transversely. Mouth subterminal, and enclosed with a reniform lip 

 succeeded by a linear annulus. Acetabulum large, globular, in- 



