88 Records of the Indian Museum. [Vol. IX, 



Bothriocephalus (Anchistrocephalus) polyptera (lyeyd.). 

 (PI. vii, figs. 4 — 6.) 



Two specimens of this tapeworm were obtained. One was 

 from Ophiocephalus striatus (Bengali, Sol) and the other from 

 Labeo rohita (Bengali, Rohit). As far as I am aware it has 

 hitherto been recorded only from Polypterus bichar. 



Our largest worm measured 17 mm, long and the greatest 

 breadth was "8 mm. The head is rectangular in shape and 

 consists of two fleshy bothridia united along their whole length, 

 and deeply concave laterally, thus forming two sucker-like 

 discs. The suckers vary slightly in size according to their degree 

 of contraction. In the largest specimen the head measured 

 I mm. long and '45 mm. broad. Anteriorly it terminates in an 

 umbrella-shaped sucker-like rostral disc, armed with about fifty-six 

 spines around its circumference. The spines are fairly large and 

 spindle-shaped, and are limited to a single row round the circum- 

 ference of the rostral disc. These are arranged as in fig. 6. There 

 is no neck. The anterior segment is overhung by the posterior 

 edges of the bothridia The first proglottid is almost square ; 

 succeeding proglottides broaden and become slightly shorter, so 

 that the last segment is about five times as broad as long. The 

 edges are markedly salient. The genitaUa and excretory systems 

 were not made out. Under high magnification the body was 

 seen to be slightly pigmented, the pigment being distributed in the 

 form of minute globular dots. Our specimens differ from the 

 figure given by Braun (9) of this species, in the following points : — 



I. II. 



Our specimens. Braun' s figure. 



{a) Fifty-four spines round ter- {a) Only thirty-two spines 



minal disc. shown. 



{b) vSpines spindle-shaped and {b) Spines slightly sinuous. 



straight, 

 (c) Two spines, anterior and (c) Absent. 



opposite to each lateral 



sucker. 



Only having two specimens, I have not thought it desirable 

 to propose a new species on these minor dift'erences, These varia- 

 tions may occur in this species. The occurrence of this worm in 

 a Teleost is unique and has already been referred to. 



Syndcsmobothrium filicoIJe, L^inton. 



This parasite was obtained from a '' Hilsa." As is well 

 known, this fish {Clupea ilisha, Day) migrates from the sea up 

 the principal rivers of Bengal in order to spawn. This takes 

 place between August and October. One or more pterocercoid 

 larvse are frequently found on the mesenteries of each adult 



