OUR DOMESTICATED ANIMALS. 13 



by the presence of flukes individually of much less size 

 than the species under consideration. It is quite a mis- 

 take to suppose that minute parasites are incapable of 

 giving rise to severe disorders. The very reverse is the 

 case. In point of fact, one may almost say that, in par- 

 ticular forms of parasitism, the smaller the parasite, the 

 more likely is its presence liable to give rise to disastrous 

 results. 



Since it is now well established that large animals 

 readily succumb to inflammatory disorders occasioned by 

 the presence of flukes, it is clearly our duty to investigate 

 the habits and economy of our rarer as well as of the 

 more common forms of trematode parasites. Only a few 

 years since, I learnt that large numbers of elephants 

 perished from the " rot " in Burmah, and I am indebted 

 to Mr. Thacker, Y.S., of the Madras Army, for specimens 

 of the offending entozoon, which I have named Fasciola 

 Jacksoni. These parasites were first noticed by Dr. Jack- 

 son in the year 1847, and probably the original examples 

 are still preserved in the Boston Museum, U.S. The 

 species is figured in the supplement to my larger treatise 

 (p. 79). I cannot dwell further on the flukes in question, 

 but I prefix these few remarks as a fitting introduction 

 or apology for entering into the consideration of some of 

 the rarer forms of bovine entozoa. 



The Cone-shaped Fluke. — This small and rather attrac- 

 tive-looking trematode [Amjphistoma conicum) dwells in 

 the paunch of cattle. It measures somewhat less than 

 half an inch in length, and scarcely more than one-eighth 

 of an inch in breadth. The ventral sucker is of remark- 

 able dimensions, and, in place of occupying the upper 

 part of the body, as in ordinary flukes, is removed to the 

 caudal extremity. The accompanying illustration, altered 



