42 OF THE PRINCIPAL WORMS 



ferior extremity, which floated at the bottom of 

 the ventricles ; the summit terminated by a long 

 Gord folded in various directions, (ISl) and was 

 strongly attached to the partition whicli separates 

 auteriorily the two ventricles. 



This double collection of hydatids so regular- 

 ly disposed, being removed from the brain and at- 

 tentively examined, we saw that each little blad- 

 der contained a real worm, of a structure quite sin- 

 gular. 



§> XXIV. It was composed of a head similar 

 to that of the taeniae, and of a vesicle full of wai- 

 ter, and organized in a wonderful manner.. 1S2) 



Tlie vesicle seemed to be formed of three dif- 

 ferent membranes ; the first external, thin, transpa- 

 rent, and very shiny or glistening ; beneath this 

 was seen an arrangement of very slender circular 

 fibres, — these were extended over another velvet 

 membrane, which lined the inner surface of the 

 vesicle or little bladder. Each small bladder was 

 therefore one of those worms to which Block gives 

 the name of hermits, (1^3) to distinguish them from 

 the vesicular social worm, which is also a blad- 

 der filled with three hundred or even four hun- 

 dred small worms.(lM^) The internal part of the 

 bladder contained nothing but some water, and not- 

 withstanding every examination we could make, 

 we could not discover the least sign of any organ 

 which might serve for the natural functions of this 

 animal. 



A very singular species of worm truly ! The 



