292 PARASITES OF ANIMALS 



to be attacked by a filar ia (F. lavis), which is found beneath the 

 skin. At least two species of Echinorhynchus (E. spirula and 

 E. elegans} are known to infest monkeys. 1 have carefully 

 examined and figured E. elegans in the ( Zoological Society's 

 Proceedings/ from specimens supplied to me by Dr Murie. 

 They had been obtained from a pinche monkey (Hapale oedipus) 

 from New Granada. I am under the impression that Diesing' s 

 original description of this parasite is the only one that exists. 

 I have gone over his numerous memoirs contributed to the 

 Vienna Academy, but can find nothing beyond the specific 

 characters given in his ' Sy sterna/ All the specimens in the 

 Vienna Museum, whence his description is taken, were collected 

 by Natterer. They were procured from the marakina (Midas 

 rosalia), from two other true marmosets (Hapale Ursula and 

 JH". chrysoleuca), and from a squirrel monkey or tee-tee (Calli- 

 thrix sciureus). In the monkey which died at the Zoological 

 Society's Gardens the cause of death was not clearly due to 

 the parasites; nevertheless, the mucous layer of the intestine, 

 to which the entozoa were attached, showed deep conical pits or 

 depressions at the spots where the worms had anchored them- 

 selves. During the perfect retraction of the proboscis of this 

 Echinorhynchus the centre is represented by a wide opening 

 which communicates with a cavity beneath. The end of the 

 neck thus forms a sort of collar, or rosette, made up of rays 

 arranged like the spokes of a wheel. When the proboscis is 

 exserted this collar is more or less convex, but it becomes 

 slightly concave when the proboscis is retracted. Diesing 

 recognised twenty-four rays ; they probably vary from that 

 number up to twenty-eight, at least I counted twenty-seven in 

 my specimens. During exsertion the proboscis forms a nipple- 

 like projection. According to Diesing it supports three rows 

 of hooks, but I certainly saw four rows. When separately 

 magnified these hooks present very different appearances as to 

 size and contour. These variations I believe to be due to 

 growth. The largest hooks measured about ' in length. 



As regards insect parasites, it is well known that monkeys 

 are largely infested by fleas, but the species have not been much 

 studied. The same may be said of their mites (Acaridte). A 

 species of Pentastoma (P. tornatum, Creplin) has been found 

 occupying little cysts of the peritoneum and omen turn in Simia 

 maimon and S. cynomulgus. Under a synonym (Linyuahda 

 Diesingii) it has been very fully described by Van Beneden. 



