406 ENTOZOA. 



and AYeinland, that " the decided annulation of the body, the 

 dorsal vessel, the peristaltic movement of the alimentary canal, 

 and the chemical nature of the skin and entire body ivhicli decom- 

 posed in alcohol,^' are points satisfactorily indicating that we have 

 here to deal with a true annehd. Such a conclusion, however, does 

 not lessen the value of Curhng's independent description, which, 

 as might be expected from so distinguished an observer, is singu- 

 larly clear and complete. 



2. Spieoptera hominis. 



8. hominis, E-udolphi ; Owen ; Dujardin ; etc. 



8. BudolpJiii, Delle Ohiaje. 



8trongylus gig as (young of), Bremser. 



Filaria piscium, Rudolphi ; Siebold ; Schneider ; etc. 



Gordius marinus, Linneus. 



Agamonema piscium, Diesing. 



This so-called human helminth, like the above, has been shown 

 to be referable to another worm ; but in the present case we have 

 really to deal with an entozoon which most certainly never takes 

 up its residence in the human body. Some time ago, after becom- 

 ing acquainted with the result of Schneider's examination of the 

 Berlin specimens of the so-called 8piroptera hominis, I referred to 

 the original description of the case (as given by Lawrence in the 

 " Medico- Chirurgical Transactions"), and was at once struck with 

 the resemblance of one of the figures with the well-known 

 Filaria inscium ; but, on far deeper grounds than that obtained by 

 a mere comparison of external form and size, Schneider has proved, 

 with certainty, that the 8piropteTa hominis is neither more nor less 

 than the exceedingly common nematode which abounds in the cod 

 and haddock. Schneider's brief communication (" Archiv. fdr 

 Anat. und Phys.," 1862, s. 275) has been translated by Mr. Busk, 

 and j)iiblishcd in tlie "Notes and Correspondence" of the "Micro- 



