187] PROTEOCEPHALIDAE—LA RUE 187 



He did not discuss his reasons for so doing. La Rue (1911) inad- 

 vertently included this form among a list of species of Proteocephalus. 

 Leidy's description is here quoted: 



"Taenia simplicissima. — Head small, unarmed, truncate; bothria spherical, ter- 

 minal, occupying the four angles; neck very long, nearly or as wide as the head, 

 body gradually widening to the posterior third and then tapering; anterior seg- 

 ments transversely linear, subsequently reversed disklike, gradually longer and 

 wider, then campanulate and gradually becoming longer and narrower. Generative 

 apertures and ova unobserved. A number of specimens from the Cod, Gadus 

 callarias, up to 20 lines by i mm. where widest. Two only of the specimens re- 

 tained the head." 



The only reliable data in the description and the drawings have to 

 do with the head and the form of the proglottids. Not even the genital 

 pores were noted. Furthermore so far as the writer is able to find out 

 no investigator since Leidy has seen or described this parasite of the 

 cod. Nor is it likely that Leidy's specimens remain for he did not save 

 many of them and many of those which he preserved have since been 

 destroyed hence a re-examination of his specimens seems unlikely. Since 

 the host is a purely marine fish and since no undoubted species of 

 Proteocephalus are known to come from marine hosts the writer holds 

 it highly improbable that this form is a species of Proteocephalus. 

 Other than the fact that it has four sessile suckers and inhabits a fish 

 it certainly has no claim for a place in the genus Proteocephalus. The 

 species is therefore deleted from the list of Proteocephalus species and 

 Leidy's original name for it is retained. 



TAENIA BELONES Miiller 



The writer has examined the statements of Rudolphi (1819:175) in 

 regard to Taenia belones and he agrees with Monticelli (1891) and Rig- 

 genbach (1896) in believing that this form does not properly belong in 

 the genus Proteocephalus. Monticelli (1891) expressed the view that 

 this species is identical with Bothriocephalus ielones Dujardin. Rig- 

 genbach (1896) apparently accepted Monticelli 's statement. 



TAENIA POLLACHII Rathke 



Rudolphi (1819:175) gave a short statement in regard to this form 

 but evidently he did not regard it as a well known species. Monticelli 

 (1891) thought it very probable that this form was identical with 

 Abothrium gadi Van Beneden. Riggenbach (1896) apparently ac- 

 cepted this view. The writer has found no reason for thinking that this 

 form is a species of Proteocephalus. 



