ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICEOSCOPY, ETC. 739 



Echinorhynchus parasitic in Man, and whose intermediary host 

 is a Blaps.* — Prof. B. Grassi and Sig. S. Calandruccio find in Catania 

 that not only is the Echinorhynchus gigas widely disseminated (being 

 found in 40 per cent, of the pigs slaughtered), but also another Echino- 

 rhynchus in the small intestine of the dog, and a third in the intestine of 

 Mus decumanus and of Myoxus quercinus. Of this last, which is identical 

 with Echinorhynchus moniliformis Bremser, and has also been found in 

 Arvicola arvalis and Cricetus vulgaris, the most important characteristics 

 are given. Greatest length of the female, 7-8 cm. ; of the male, 4-4 J cm. 

 Diameter 1-lf mm. The anterior extremity is somewhat tapered, and 

 the body is marked by a series of constrictions, so that it seems divided 

 into segments, except near the tail, which in the female is smooth for the 

 last two centimetres, and for the last one in the male. Length of proboscis 

 is 425-450 fi, and its breadth, 176-190 fi. The booklets are arranged 

 in the proboscis in a quincuncial manner (not always evident), and form 

 fifteen transverse and fourteen longitudinal rows. Each booklet is much 

 curved. The lemnisci are more than 1 cm. long, and 169 /x thick. In 

 the vascular apparatus are many annular vessels, which encircle the 

 body. The bell-like bursa of the male is visible to the naked eye. The 

 eggs are elliptical, 85 [x long and 45 /a broad. They have three invest- 

 ments : a thin outer yellowish shell ; a middle thick, colourless, and homo- 

 geneous one, which is without the hollowings characteristic of Echino- 

 rhynchus gigas; the innermost is likewise colourless, pretty thick, and 

 extensile. In its posterior two-thirds the embryo shows a transverse 

 striation, and is beset with points, which towards the anterior end increase 

 in size and become booklets, of which at least four are distinguished by 

 their greater size (17 fx). 



The Echinorhynchus just described inhabits the small intestine, and 

 principally its upper two-thirds. The common beetle Blaps mucronata 

 Lat., is the intermediate host. The authors have thrice found more than 

 a hundred young of Echinorhynchus moniliformis in a single Blaps. The 

 young Echinorhynchi, easily visible to the naked eye, were encysted, had 

 the same characteristics as in the adults, and were oval in shape, their 

 long axis being about 1100 fjc with the investment, and without it 600 /x. 

 Some of these young Echinorhynchi were given to a young rat, and others 

 were swallowed by one of the authors. Dr. Calandruccio. This was done 

 on December 26th, 1887, and on January 10th, 1888, numerous Echino- 

 rhynchi, 1 cm. long, were found in the intestine of the rat. On January 15 th 

 Sig. Calandruccio was seized with severe pains in the abdomen, accom- 

 panied by occasional diarrhoea, buzzing in the ears, malaise, and drowsi- 

 ness. On February 1st a few Echinorhynchi were found in the faeces, and 

 by February 13th the symptoms became so severe that he was forced to 

 take Extr. Fil. liq. This was followed by the expulsion of 53 Echino- 

 rhynchi, chiefly female, and in a few days he became quite well, and no 

 more ova were found in the fseces. From this it will be seen that a 

 parasite of Mus decumanus, Echinorhynchus moniliformis, is capable of 

 developing in man. 



Ankylostomnm duodenale.f — Herr O. Seifert continues his study 

 of Anhylostomum duodenale, the occurrence of which as a human parasite 

 makes it an important subject of research practically. After giving an 



* Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., iii. (1888) pp. 521-5 (7 figs.). 

 t Verb. Phys. Med. Gesell, Wiirzburg, sxi. (1888) pp. 283-94 (1 pi.). 



