102 Dr. O^Bryeu Bellingham on Irish Entozoa. 



log-ue of the Vienna collection ; it was subsequently changed to 

 Spiroptera from the disposition of the caudal extremity. The 

 species are numerous, forty being enumerated by Rudolphi, of 

 which eighteen are marked doubtful ; they occur only in vertebral 

 animals^ and are most common in birds. They inhabit the oeso- 

 phagus or crop, and are found between the membranes of the 

 alimentary canal and in tubercles connected with these parts, 

 more frequently than in the canal itself; in fish they sometimes 

 occur in the swim-bladder. The species are arranged by Rudolphi 

 in two subdivisions, from the character of the parts about the 

 mouth. 



Ore papilloso. 

 1. Sph'optera antharis . . CEsophagus of rook (Corvus fntgilegus). 



{Swim-bladder of trout (Sabno Fario). 

 Swim-bladder of Gillaroo trout (^Salmo 

 Fario, var.). 

 I f f j CEsophagus and crop of sparrow-hawk 

 " i 1^ (^Accipiter fringillarius) . 



[ strumosa . Stomach of mole (Talpa europcea).'] 



Species dubia. 

 4. Spiroptera. . CEsophagus of raven (CoruMS rbrao?). 



5. .. CEsophagus of golden plover (C^ar«c?nMSjt;/MOT'«?/s). 



6. . . Small intestine of bald-coot (FuUca atra). 



„ ^ [Tubercles in oesophagus of shieldrake (Tadorna 



\ Bellonit). 



8. t Crop of shearwater (^Procellaria AngJorum). 



9. . . Stomach and intestine of skate (^Raia Batis). 



* This species of Spiroptera, which I found in tubercles connected 

 with the oesophagus of the common shieldrake, appears not to have 

 been previously noticed, and it differs from every species hitherto 

 described (except one observed by Creplin and named Spiroptera 

 aculeata) in having the body armed with spines. None of the spe- 

 cimens which I possess however are quite perfect ; the longest, which 

 appears to be nearly so, is an inch and a half in length, cylindrical 

 and very nearly of the same diameter throughout ; a narrow line runs 

 along the dorsal, and another along the abdominal surface from the 

 head to the caudal extremity. The mouth is orbicular, conspicuous, 

 and without papillae, hence it belongs to the first division in Ru- 

 dolphi's arrangement ; the head and the whole anterior portion of the 

 body are armed over every part with innumerable recurved hooks. 

 The alimentary canal extends in a straight line from before back- 

 wards, and is nearly of the same diameter in every part. 



-j- This species of Spiroptera, which occurred in the crop of the 

 shearwater (Procel/aria Anglorum) like the preceding, is armed with 

 spines. The specimens which I possess are females ; they were at- 

 tached to the mucous membrane of the crop by their anterior extre- 



