86 Part III. — Twenty-sixth Annual Report 



Genus Taenia, Linne. 



Taenia sp. PI. V., figs. 10-11. 



A specimen of a Cestode that appears to belong to the genus Taenia 

 was obtained in the intestine of an Eel captured in the Loch of Loirston, 

 near Cove, Kincardineshire, in 1901. The specimen measured about 

 75 mm. in length, and was moderately slender. The head seen in front is 

 obscurely quadrangular, with the bothria occupying the bluntly-rounded 

 corners, and nearly equidistant. In the centre is a minute stellate disk, 

 somewhat difficult to make out. The bothria are circular, surrounded by 

 a muscular ring, and with a membrane extending over the inner half. 

 The head appears to be unarmed. This specimen has some resemblance 

 to a form mentioned by Linton found in the intestine of " Anquilla 

 chrysypa (Anguilla vulgaris)" and named by him Taenia dilatata* 

 The Loch of Loirston specimen may belong to this species, but I scarcely 

 think so ; the T. dilatata Linton, shows the front aspect of the head 

 made uneven by shallow " dilatations " which is not the case with the 

 specimen recorded here. I therefore prefer for the present to leave the 

 species unnamed. 



NEMATHELMINTHA. 



Sub-Order Acanthocephala, Rudolphi. 



Genus EcMnorliynclius. 



Echinorhynchus proteus, Westrumb. PI. IV., figs. 3-4; PI. VL, fig. 1. 



1821. Echinorhynrhus proteus, Westrumb, De Helminth. 

 Acanth., p. 37, tab. 1, figs. 11-12. 



1850. ErMnorhynclms proteus, Diesing, Syst. Helminth., 

 Vol. II., p. 57. 



This curious species was observed in the intestine of an Eel, Anguilla 

 vulgaris, Cuv., captured near the mouth of the River Dee at Abeideen in 

 July 1905. In this species the proboscis is short and feebly armed ; it is 

 also sub-clavate in form, rather linear or cylindrical. Immediately posterior 

 to the proboscis is a large bulb-like expansion (or bulla), which the parasite 

 seems to have the power to compress or dilate at will, for it can insert not 

 only the proboscis but the bulla also into the tissues of the muscus mem- 

 brane of the intestine, as shown by the photograph (PL VI., fig. 1). This 

 figure represents a small portion of the inner surface of the intestine of 

 of the Eel with two Echinorhynchi in situ ; the proboscis and bulla of the 

 parasites are entirely immersed in the substance of the intestinal wall. A 

 careful examination of the fish revealed the fact that in a few instances 

 the proboscis of the parasite had pierced right through the intestine so 

 that the apex of the proboscis could be easily seen projecting slightly on 

 the outside surface of the wall of the intestine. 



Between the bulla and the body of the Cestode there is a long slender 

 neck, and both the bulla and the neck are unarmed. 



The length of the specimen represented by the drawing (PI. IV., fig. 3), 

 is sixteen millimeters, or fully half an inch. 



* Parasites of Fishes of the Woods Hole region, U.S. Fish Commission Bull, for 

 1899, p. 435, PI. XXV., figs. 272-273. 



