251] 



PROTEOCEPHALIDAE—LA RUE 



251 



One bottle of 5 specimens with heads and some pieces, labelled ' ' Taema 

 racemosa Rud from Eunectes murinus." was received from A. E. Ship- 

 ley, Cambridge. The material is now No. 08.472 in Professor Ward's 

 collection. One bottle of 3 specimens with heads, labelled ^'Taenia 

 Eunectes from Anaconda, sm. Intestine, Phila. Zoo. G. 939. U. P. Path- 

 Hist. 1694," was received from A. J. Smith, Philadelphia. This is now 

 No. 10.190 in Professor Ward's collection. Seven slides, one of them con- 

 taining a head, labelled "No. 1858, From Boa Constrictor Box 53-20, 

 1893," were received for examination from the Bureau of Animal In- 

 dustry, Washington. 



A careful study of the specimens thus brought together showed that 

 they belonged to the same species. Since in each lot one or more heads 

 were present a careful study of this organ could be made. For this 

 purpose balsam mounts were made from some heads while others were 

 cleared and examined in glycerine. On account of the small amount of 

 material the section method was not used except in a single instance 

 The results of this study are best shown in the accompanying table. 

 The heads used for measurement were chosen quite at random, for an 

 examination of the material showed that a tabulation of measurements 

 of all heads was unnecessary. The dimensions are in millimeters. 



a) Head showed some eflfect of flattening in mounting. This may have some 



effect on measurements of suckers also. 



b) Head was evidently very strongly contracted as were also the suckers. 



c) Measurements were taken from Smith's drawing which was accompanied by 



a scale of magnification. 



A study of the above table shows that in the main the measure- 

 ments agree very well. Where apparent discrepancies occur they are 

 easily accounted for by states of contraction and compression. In every 

 case the shape of the suckers is the same, due allowances being made 



