148 Miscellaneous. 



inversa, Rudolphi, may almost be said to line the intestine of Sterna 

 fissipes. A very common species, which is perhaps Tcenia laevigata, 

 Rudolphi, but which may perhaps be new, develops itself indifferently 

 in the curlew, the sanderling, the common turnstone, the variable 

 sandpiper, and the knot. The genus Ophryocotyle, established by 

 Friis in 1869, is represented at Roscoff by two species. Ophryo- 

 cotyle proteus, Friis, is found in the variable sandpiper and the 

 sanderling as well as in the ringed plover ; the other species is new, 

 and lives in the godwit. 



The parasites of the Cetacea of the suborder Cetodontes have been 

 lately carefully collected ; but it is probable that we are still far 

 from knowing all. In a common dolphin, dissected in the laboratory 

 of Roscoff on June 22nd, 1874, we found at the base of the pectoral 

 fins, between the fat and the muscles, a singular worm, which I 

 have been unable to determine, and of which I will shortly give a 

 description. This curious parasite seemed to me to resemble the 

 Pseudalii ; but it certainly differs from all the species of this genus 

 at present known. The same dolphin contained in its stomach a 

 prodigious quantity of Ascaris simplex, Rudolphi, in all stages of 

 development. 



I may also notice as being found at Roscoff two unpublished 

 Cercarice, the Eeclice of which live in marine Mollusca. One of 

 them, discovered by Professor de Lacaze-Duthiers, is a parasite of 

 Calyptrcea sinensis, and is distinguished by its tail, which is fur- 

 nished with two membranous lateral expansions, regularly plaited 

 across. The other, which much resembles two Cercarice described 

 by Miiller (C setifera and C. elegans), is a parasite on Nassa 

 reticulata. 



We have still to study the migrations and metamorphoses of all 

 these species. The subject is without doubt very attractive ; but 

 it requires much method and circumspection and a long series of 

 observations. It will be this year the principal object of my re- 

 searches. Some experiments I have made in this direction on the 

 parasites of the birds have not been unfruitful, and I hope soon to 

 be able to communicate to the Academy the results obtained. — 

 Comptes Bendus, April 26, 1875, p. 1098. 



On the Action of Borax in Fermentation and Putrefaction. 



By M. J.-B. ScHNETZLER. 



In the scientific discussion which took place before the Academy 

 between MM. Pasteur and Fremy on the theory of fermentation 

 M. Dumas intervened, stating that there are two sorts of ferments : 

 —those of which beer-yeast is the type, which live and multiply 

 during the fermentation ; and those represented by diastase, which, 

 on the contrary, are destroyed during their action*. 



Restricting the name to the chemical action produced by ferments 



* Revue des Cours scientifiques, 1872. 



