SOLIDUNGULA 363 



the walls of the intestine were also occupied with encysted and 

 immature forms of the same nematode species. To such an 

 extent had infection taken place, that I was enabled to count 

 no less than thirty-nine strongyles within the space of the one 

 fourth of a square inch. All parts of the sections of the colon 

 under examination were almost equally invaded ; so that, taking 

 the average, I am clearly within the mark in saying that every 

 square inch of the gut yielded at least one hundred parasites. 

 The walls of the entire colon must therefore have been occupied 

 by tens of thousands of these creatures, to say nothing of the 

 scarcely less numerous examples lying free or lodged within the 

 faecal contents of the bowel. 



In a second and more extended communication, sent in reply 

 to inquiries as to the cestodes, Mr Lloyd (whose letter I have 

 abridged) writes : " I regret that I cannot give you very full 

 particulars respecting the tapeworms. During the last twelve 

 months mountain ponies grazing on the lower districts of 

 Breconshire, which comprise some of the highest mountains in 

 South Wales, have been dying in great numbers, from what the 

 farmers indefinitely term inflammation. From what I have seen 

 and heard, it appears that there are three causes of death, the 

 tapeworm, the small worms (which I presumed were a kind of 

 strongyle), and catarrhal disorders, such as have been common 

 among horses of late. By far the greater number of deaths 

 (from what I can glean) have been caused by the parasites. In 

 the Ystradfellte or Penderin districts there has been no investi- 

 gation, although the disease has reigned there for a longer 

 period, about eighteen months, with (from what I have heard) 

 a larger number of deaths than elsewhere ; so I shall let these 

 remain for the present, as I have not had an opportunity to see 

 or hear anything authentic about them. In the Talybont 

 district the cause appears to be the small worms (like those I 

 sent). The owner of the animals said that a month ago, when 

 he went to look after his ponies, they were appearing quite well, 

 and looked as well as he could expect them at this season, 

 but he was astonished to find some of them a fortnight ago 

 looking very lean and wasting, and he thought that the weather 

 was the cause of it, yet resolved to see them of tener ; the next 

 time he saw them one was dead, and knowing of the loss in the 

 neighbourhood, and fearing he would be a sufferer, he sought 

 aid, applying to me. When I arrived two days following two 

 more were dead, and they presented an emaciated appearance. 



