THE ANNALS 



AND 



MAGAZINE OF NATUKAL HISTOKY. 



[FIFTH SERIES.] 

 No. 33. SEPTEMBER 1880. 



XXIII. — On the Pentastomum polyzonum of Harley ; with a 

 Note on the Synonymy of the allied SjJecies. By F. Jeffrey 

 Bell, M.A. 



The interest and importance which attach to an exact 

 knowledge of the history and distribution of all entozoic para- 

 sites induce me to give as careful a description as is possible 

 of two specimens of a species of Pentastomum which were 

 lately forwarded to the British Museum by Mr. W. E. Dawes. 

 They had been taken from a "boa constrictor" which had 

 been in Wombwell's menagerie. Unfortunately the skin 

 was not examined while in a condition in which the species 

 could be definitely distinguished ; but Dr. Gtinther is satis- 

 fied that the specimens were taken from an African python ; 

 they are said to have been found in the " flesh of the body " 

 as well as " within the intestines." 



As in so many other branches of zoology, the question of 

 synonymy still hampers the progress of investigation ; and it 

 will be necessary to direct attention to the names of several 

 of these Arachnoid forms which are known to be parasitic in 

 the Ophidia. 



The most common entozoon of this genus would appear to 

 be the P. jproboscideum of Budolphi, to which I should be 

 inclined to give rather the name of P. crotali ; for the syno- 

 nymy of Diesing*, and of Rudolphi himself f, seem to me to 



* Monog. Pentastoma, p. 21. t Eutoz. Synopsis, p. 434. 



Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 5. Vol. vi. 13 



