28 Mr. H. J. Carter on Dracunculus. 



My object in bringing together the facts related in the fore- 

 going pages is to show that we may always proceed with some 

 degree of certainty, if we never lose sight of positive, invariable 

 landmarks. Beyond doubt the surest course is to trace the de- 

 velopments from the earliest growth of the ovule to the final 

 perfection of the seed ; but where this cannot be done, notwith- 

 standing the variable texture and condition of the tunics deve- 

 loped from the growth of the primine and secundine, we may 

 always, with much confidence, by attending to the unerring 

 indications afforded by the raphe, generally deduce the true 

 nature and origin of the different coatings of seeds in Phanero- 

 gamous plants. 



III. — On Dracunculus and Microscopic Filaridse in the Island of 

 Bombay. By H. J. Carter, Esq., Bombay. 



[With three Plates.] 



In the month of October 1853, I published a " Note" on Dracun- 

 culus in the island of Bombay*, and in February 1858 communi- 

 cated additional "Observations" on the same subjectf, in order to 

 correct and complete it. My object in the first communication 

 was to give an anatomical description of the Guinea- worm of 

 this island ; to compare it and its young one with that micro- 

 scopic species of the Filaridse which is most common in the fresh- 

 water tanks here, to which I have applied the name of "Tank- 

 worm '" to try to account for the origin of Dracunculus ; and 

 to suggest some prophylactic measures for its prevention. This 

 led me to a further study of the microscopic species, both in the 

 fresh and brackish or salt waters of the island, which again 

 threw my attention back upon Dracunculus, and has finally 

 ended in making me acquainted, not only with much more of 

 the anatomy of the latter, but with nearly the whole of the 

 organology, formation of the ova and spermatozoa of the Tank- 

 worm, as well as with several other microscopic species, all of 

 which are interesting in various ways, but of which I have not 

 been able to obtain much more than the external forms. 



In my last communication, viz. the " Observations," I gave a 

 short summary of the latter researches ; and I now propose to 

 give the full paper, with illustrations. 



It may be conceived, perhaps, that much has been written on 

 the Guinea-worm, and that publishing anything more about it 

 is superfluous ; but what has been written is very little to the 

 purpose, and it is for this reason that it is desirable to record a 



* Transactions Med. and Phys. Soe. Bombav, No. 2. p. 45, new series, 

 f Annals, vol. i. p. 410, 1858. 



