BY GERARD KREFFT, ESQ., F.L.S. 215 



The following descriptions are those of the new species : — 



TAENIA TUBERCULATA. 



(Plate I., figs. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 21a. 

 Plate II., fig. 3). 



Total length seldom exceeding 42 inches, average breadth 

 one quarter of an inch, specimens occur however, which are half 

 an inch wide in some parts. Head small, variable, often attached 

 to a long slender neck which more frequently ends in a filament. 

 Tapering specimens such as figured on Plate II. (fig. 3), are 

 common ; the neck appears quite perfect but not a vestige of a 

 disk, sucker or proboscis can be observed. I examined more than 

 25 White-eyed Ducks (in which this tape worm is principally 

 found), and obtained over fifty specimens but only five or six 

 were furnished with heads such as are sketched (much enlarged) 

 on Plate I. (figs. 12, 13, 14, 16, 19, 20, 21, and 21a). The' 

 general form of this cestoid resembles fig. 9 of Plate I. Owing to 

 the many tubercles distributed over the posterior portion of the 

 segments, the appearance of the colony is irregular though the 

 marginal lines are generally straight. The anterior portion for 

 about one-fifth of the total length is provided with very close 

 segments directly after which the lemniscy appear, one on each 

 side of every joint, the edges enlarging till they look in the most 

 posterior proglottides, like small mammas. 



Plate II., fig. 3, shows the size of the segments well, the 

 figure is from a photograph of a dried specimen, and repro- 

 duced here to show the exact length and width of the immature 

 and lemnisci-bearing segments. Tubercles and mammaeform 

 lemnisci have dried in such a manner that their position is quite 

 obliterated. 



The lemnisci proper are covered by a short tube, and in dry 

 objects this covering appears to be provided with very small 

 spines, I mention this because such a spinous integument occurs 

 only in the species under discussion, and has not yet been observed 

 in any other Australian cestoid worm. The discharging or male 

 organs are seldom much produced, they just peep out of the 

 covering tube, though once I have noticed a lemniscus with a bell 



