53 Zoological Society : — 



Mr. Macgillivray found beetles and water shells {Lymnea and 

 Ancylus) and the larvae of Ephemera, Phryganea, and other aquatic 

 insects. 



Sir W. Jardine, in his ' Birds of Great Britain,' says, " In one part 

 of Scotland, sixpence per head is given for these birds. In another 

 district, 548 were killed in three years." He adds, " The ova of any 

 kind of fish we have never detected in the stomach or intestines ; nor 

 do we think that they habitually frequent the places where the 

 spawn would be deposited ; and if they did, we would deem it almost 

 impossible that they could reach it after it was covered in the 

 spawning-bed," &c. 



So that I hope we may fairly acquit this interesting little bird of 

 the depredations of which it has so often been accused ; but I hope 

 that we shall ere long see the Water-Ousel, with the Little Grebe 

 (Podiceps minor), in the Society's fish-house, where a better oppor- 

 tunity will be afforded of learning its habits. 



As is well known, this bird has been variously classed by different 

 writers. Mr. Gould, in the work before quoted, says he regards 

 Cinclus as one of the isolated forms of ornithology, and that it has 

 some remote alliance with the genera Troglodytes and Scytalopus 

 and their allies. 



Description of a New Species of Entozoon from the 

 Intestines of the Diamond-Snake of Australia (Mo- 

 RELIA spilotes). By W. Baird, M.D., F.L.S. 



Bothridium (Solenophorus, Creplin) arcuatum, Baird. 



Length of the largest specimen (which, however, is not quite 

 perfect at lower extremity) 10 inches. Breadth, about the middle of 

 its length, 4 lines. Head, consisting of its two tubular bothria, about 7 

 lines in length and 3 lines in breadth. Bothria smooth, cylindrical, 

 arched outwardly, and connected together throughout their whole 

 extent, and each of about the same diameter at the top as at the 

 bottom. Upper openings circular and large ; lower openings very 

 small and quite terminal. Neck none. Articulations at anterior 

 extremity extremely small, appearing like mere rugae. Articulations 

 of rest of body, in adult specimens, very numerous, narrow, much 

 broader than long, and crowded together ; in smaller and apparently 

 younger specimens (which, however, look as if perfect in length), the 

 articulations near the posterior extremity are, comparatively speaking, 

 much larger, longer than broad, and are more like those of JB. laticeps 

 or B. pythonis. The most distinguishing character is the size and 

 shape of the head. 



Hab. Intestines of the Morelia spilotes, from Australia. (Mus. 

 Brit.).^ 



For the specimens of this species I am indebted to Dr. A. Gun- 

 ther, who found them attached to the inner surface of the intestines 



