miM HUMAIT CESTODE. ' 81 



* Natural History of the Entozoa,' publislied iu 1808 ; but in 

 my copy of Eudolphi's ' Synopsis,' published iu 1819, I find no 

 allusion to the human case. I think iudeed, with M. Duchamp 

 that the woman's ligule was not a genuine instance of parasitism 

 by that genus ; but from what I have seen of monstrous develop- 

 ments of tapeworms in the human body, I am of opinion that 

 the supposed ligule was a portion of the strobile of a malformed 

 TcEnia mediocanellata, destitute of segmentation. Prof. Aitken, 

 of Netley, once sent me a complete tapeworm of this kind 

 in which there were neither distinct proglottides nor any true 

 head. The worm might easily have been mistaken for a new 

 kind of ligule. 



"Whatever interpretation is put upon the case above men- 

 tioned, there can be no doubt that in Ligida Mansoni we have a 

 genuine cestode parasite, infesting the tissues of mau. Its 

 source is difficult to explain ; for whilst, with E-osen, we have 

 seen ligules in the flesh of fishes, it is by no means clear that the 

 ingestion of fish-ligules could produce parasitism in man. Indeed 

 it may safely be said that ligulosis could not be produced in 

 this way. If it could, such a disorder would probably not be of 

 rare occurrence. In Italy, it is well known that the sexually 

 immature tapeworms of fishes are relished by the people as 

 edible delicacies. In my copy of Eudolphi, his words are 

 " Ligulse in pisciculi Cyprino Barbo affinis abdomine obvias Italis 

 nomine macaroni piatti edules et in deliciis sunt." This passage 

 has been freely quoted by Diesiug and other helminthologists, 

 including M. Duchamp. It is also worthy of remark tliat the 

 Ziigula edulis of Brigauti is regarded by M. Duchamp, as it was 

 also by Diesing, as a synonym of L. simpUcissima. 



I should be sorry to have misunderstood M. Duchamp ; but 

 from his remarks (at p. 3-1 of his memoir) I am led to infer 

 that the fact of parasitism by ligules having occurred iu other 

 mammals than seals has been overlooked by him. He says :— 

 " Concerning the parasitism beyond [or outside] that of birds, one 

 cannot but admit it as an accidental coincidence. Eacts of this 

 kind are moreover extremely rare ; we have not encountered 

 more than two ; and, again, they are far from being quite certain." 

 These Avords by themelves are explicit enough ; and after recording 

 the human instance already quoted by me, he refers to the seal's 

 ligule, which, as he clea^rly points out, was subsequently shown 

 to be the closely allied Cestode called ScMstoceplialus cUmorplms. 

 The perusal of this passage has puzzled me all along; for 



