r»8i 



Xo species of this genus as at pieseut revised 

 (Blancbai'd, 1894, p. 699-702) is known to occur in do- 

 mesticated fowls, although the pigeon ''Bothriocepha- 

 lide" may conveniently be placed here at present; sev- 

 eral species (B, dendriticus, B. ditremus, B. lissiceps, 

 B. podicepedis) are found in wild birds. For Botli- 

 riocephalus longieollis see Bo+hriotaenia longicollis, p. 



1. BERTKAU'S PIGEON BOTHRIOCEPHALUS, gen. et sp.. 'ncert. 



Cornelius (1875) mentions the occurrence of a tape- 

 worm in a carrier pigeon at Eberfeld; hesitates that it 

 was a true Taenia, but I'.ortkau, in n footnote to Corne- 

 lius's paper, remarks that it is a "Bothriocephalide," 

 as it possessed two suckers. 



The worm was yellowish white in color, 24<'"i long; two 

 suckers but no hooks on the head; neck short; anterior seg- 

 ments very short and straight, segments increasing in breadth 

 to Gmm, then decreasing again toward the posterior extremity; 

 margin of strobila serrate. 



The host had been listless and dull, but regained its natural 

 condition after the expulsion of the worm. 



Railliet (1893, p. 329), in referring to this form, mentions also 

 a case recorded by Itzigsohn (Neudamm. Brandenburg). Dr. 

 Itzigsohn was called to see a child which, he was assured, had 

 vomited a worm, and, in fact, a Bothriocephalus was shown 

 to him. An investigation, however, showed that the child had 

 been playing with a pigeon, killed the evening before by the 

 child's father; upon examining the bird a similar worm was 

 found. 



accepted, as Rudolphi did not mention this form among his 

 species of this genus. Strictly speaking, the generic name 

 Ptychobothrium should fall into sjmonymy under Bothriocep- 

 halus (type B. claviceps) and a new generic term should be 

 given to the group of which B. latus is now taken as type. This 

 would, however, be a radical step and could be taken consis- 

 tently only in a revision. Another solution of the problem, 

 which would have the advantage of creating less confusion, 

 would be to accept another species as type of Bothriocephalus. 

 which must obviously be one named by Rudolphi in 180S-1810, 

 with penis, vulva and uterus opening ventrally. 



