The Anatomy of Stilesia Centripunctata (Rivolta). 



By Lewis Henry Gtough, Ph.D. 



Stilesia centripunctata (Rivolta) is a parasite of the jejunum of sheep 

 and, according to Von Linstow (Compendum der Helmenthologie, 1889), 

 of cattle, but there is internal evidence that this statement is due to an 

 error, as he does not quote it as a parasite of sheep. Linstow, however, 

 is there citing Eivolta, who found it in sheep. 



Its geographical distribution appears to be somewhat limited, as, 

 apart from South Africa, I have only seen records from Italy (Rivolta, 

 Mattozzi) and Algeria (Neumann, Tempere). 



In South Africa (Transvaal) it is absolutely the commonest cestode 

 found in the intestine of sheep ; several specimens are usually found 

 together — it is, however, rarer than the liver tape-worm, Stilesia hevatica, 

 Wolfh. 



The parasite is almost entirely restricted to the continent of Africa 

 and to Southern Europe — to the Mediterranean and Aethiopean regions, 

 but especially to the latter. 



The worm was first described as Taenia centrifunctata by Rivolta in 

 1874 (Sopra alcune Specie di Tenie della Pecora, Pisa), it was again men- 

 tioned by Perroncito in 1882 (I Parassiti dell' Uomo e degli Animali Utih, 

 Milano), and again in 1886 (Trattato teorico-pratico suUe malattie piu 

 comuni degli Animali domestici dal punto di vista agricolo, commerciale 

 ed igienico, Torino). In the same year (1886) Railliet refers to it in the 

 first edition of Elements de Zoologie Medicale et Agricole, Paris. In 1888 

 it was again referred to by Neumann in the first edition of Traite des 

 Maladies parasitaires non microbiennes des Animaux domestiques, Paris. 



These records or references all appear to have been based on the same 

 material, or to have been quoted from one paper. 



In 1891 Neumann obtained fresh material, and was able to supplement 

 the details given by the earlier authors. (Observations sur les Tenias du 

 Monton : C.R. Soc. Hist. Nat., 1891, 18 Mars.) 



The revised diagnosis is found also in the second edition of the Traite 

 des Maladies parasitaires 1892, and in Railliet's second edition of Traite 

 de Zoologie Medicale et Agricole, 1893. In the same year Stiles gives a 

 description, partly original, from Neximann's material, partly abstracted, in 

 " A Revision of the Adult Cestodes of Cattle, Sheep, and Allied Animals," 

 being the best description of the worm pubhshed hitherto. 



