MONTGOMERY: GORDIACEA. 55 
complicato che nel genere Chordodes: ora con una sola sorta di formazioni 
areolari, ora con formazioni areolari di due sorta: le une piu basse e chiare: e 
le altre un po’ piu elevate e scure che stanno intorno allo sbocco dei canaletti 
che attraversano gli strati cuticolari: fra le areole spesso vi sono granuli o 
tubercoli rifrangenti.” Parachordodes thus differs from Gordius merely in re- 
gard to cuticular structures, and I cannot consider that such differences warrant 
the separation of a new genus. For in the Gordiacea the cuticular differences 
have little more than specific value, as is well shown by the fact that the 
cuticle may show marked differences in different individuals of the same 
species. If more important differences than these be subsequently determined, 
then, and not until then, does it seem justifiable to me to recognize Parachor- 
dodes as a well defined genus; and hence it should for the present be retracted 
into Gordius, (A preliminary to this monograph was published by Camerano 
in the Zool. Anzeiger for August, 1897, with the title “ Nuova classificazione 
dei Gordii.”) In this paper are given figures of the cuticle of Chordodes 
talensis Cam., which represent its structure as quite different from that of my 
new species, C’. puerilis. 
Here may also be mentioned certain papers on American Gordiacea which 
had been omitted in the preceding pages. 
Girard (1851, “ Historical Sketch of Gordiacea,” Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. 
Philadelphia, 5) mentions a specimen caught at Richmond, Virginia, and 
several collected in Oregon by the U. 8S. Exploring Expedition. 
Sanford (1853, ‘‘On some Points in the History of Gordius,” Proc, Amer. 
Assoc. Sci.) collected some specimens from crickets (Gryllidez). 
Thompson (1853, “ History of Vermont,’’ Burlington) states that Gordii are 
very common in still waters and mud in that State. 
White (1859, ‘‘ Gordius trifurcatus, n. sp.,” Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., 7) 
gives the following description, of this species, which may possibly be referable 
to the 9 of Paragordius varius (Leidy): ‘ Male. Length, 5 inches; diameter, 
+ line; shape uniformly cylindrical; head obtusely conical; posterior end 
divided into two long and narrow lobes, and one shorter and broader lobe, in- 
curved and friyged with short thick hairs. At base of larger lobe is the genital 
opening, from which the spermatozoa are seen escaping with extremely long 
tails. Color uniformly light brown. . . . It does not answer to either of the 
two described by Dr. Leidy.” 
Clementi (1869, “ Hair Snakes,” Canadian Entomologist) found Gordii (?) 
in a large spider. 
Leidy (1870, ‘*‘ The Gordius, or Hair-worm,” Amer. Entomol. and Botanist, 2 
gives a good description and some figures (the only figures published by him 
of members of this group) of his G. varius. He considers the males of this 
form, as previously described by him, to be really of two different species: in 
the one (varius) the forks of the tail are thick, with a crescentic fold above the 
genital pore. In the other males (G. longilobatus, n. sp.) “ the forks of the tail 
are two or three times the length of the thickness of the body, and the forks do 
not include at their base a crescentic fold as in the former.’”? (The male here 
