162 DR. F. E, BEDDARD ON 



what I have observeil in Ichthyotcenia gabonica, and glycerine 

 preparations of the proglottids of the two species are very easy to 

 distinguish. There are no special comments to make concerning 

 the ovary and the female ducts in the neighbourhood of the 

 ovary ; they appear to agree entirely with those of Ophidotcenia 

 oiaice. The oviduct widens to form the end of the vagina, and the 

 latter suddenly dilates at its external orifice to form a, muscular 

 sac quite as large at the terminal section of the cirrus. It is 

 nearly always in front of the opening of the ciiTus ; I found it 

 posterior only in one case. I could not find a definite sphincter 

 muscle surrounding the terminal section of the vagina, such 

 as exists in Ophidotcenia naice. The prepai/ations that I have 

 made of the present species which illustrate the structure of the 

 lUerus, serve rather to increase our knowledge of this organ in 

 the genus Ophidotcenia than to accentuate difterences between the 

 two species of the genus. 



The accompanying drawing (text-fig. 35) shows the utenis in 

 an incompletely mature proglottid, which is therefore not very 

 long in projDortion to its breadth. The uterus seems to lie exactly 

 in the middle line and to extend from near the posterior to near 

 the anterior border of the proglottid. In this young proglottid 

 the lateral diverticula of the median stem of the uterus were only 

 just beginning as inconspicuous buds. At the anterior end the 

 uterus opens directly on to the exterior by a large and very con- 

 spicuovis pore, which can be easily seen by careful focussing to 

 have clear-cut outlines due to the cuticle. It is quite circular in 

 contoiu". It is a noteworthy fact to find one definite uterine 

 pore only. For the fact brings the peculiaiities of this genus 

 Ophidotcpnia more into line with the Bothriocephalids and tends 

 to show that, as might be expected, the frequent pores of later 

 stages are a secondaiy state of affairs, and thias not inimical to 

 the main point of resemblance urged between this genus and the 

 lower tapewornis. But, although there is only one large definite 

 external uterine pore to be seen in this preparation, the sub- 

 sidiary pores, much smaller, are to some extent recognisable 

 prolongations of the uterus approaching to very near the surface, 

 if not actually opening on to it. 



In the proglottid in front of and in that behind the one which 

 is figured in the annexed drawing and has just been described, 

 there is not a large anteriorly situated uterine pore. But a few 

 rather indistinct pores are visible, like the subsidiary ones noticed 

 in the case of the first proglottid to be examined. The in- 

 distinctness of these pores leads me to infer that they can 

 be temporarily closed and, perhaps, indeed they may become 

 permanently closed, thus approximating to the conditions that I 

 have described above in Ichthyotcenia gahonica. I have naturally 

 examined these pores in transverse sections. In such sections a 

 depression in the outer layer of the body which forms the external 

 part of the uterine pore is conspicuous and relatively large. 

 Kearer to the centre of such a depression the cuticle, is seen to 



