Parasites of the Liver. 341 



from side to side, the posterior border is concave or cup-shaped 

 the fringed edges overlapping the next succeeding segment. The 

 fimbriae are represented by simple crenations on the segments 

 near the head, but on the body and caudal portion of the taenia 

 they are well developed. 



The generative organs are represented by two lateral sets of 

 male and female organs in each segment, and each opening 

 through a lateral orifice. The oviducts are filled with eggs which 

 contain live embryos in the terminal segments. 



Geographical Distribution . The parasite is found in the deer 

 in Brazil, in sheep of the Pacific Coast, the Sierras, the Rocky 

 Mountains, Mexico, the Plains, and as far east as Kansas, 

 Nebraska and Missouri. Dr. Curtice suggests that it is co-exten- 

 sive with the distribution of Mexican and Colorado sheep, and 

 therefore an invasion of the Middle and Eastern States is to be 

 feared. 



Life History. The young taeniae are found in the duodenum of 

 lambs and adult sheep of all ages, but the mature taenia has not 

 been seen in lambs of less than ten months old. They are found 

 especially in the gall ducts showing that these constitute the hab- 

 itat of choice. From the worms found in lambs of different 

 ages the growth seems to be about an inch per month. The 

 taeniae taken in during one summer appear to reach maturity and 

 furnish embryos the following spring. The embryos pass out 

 with the faeces but their host in the cystic stage has not been dis- 

 covered. From the varying size of the taeniae found in the duo- 

 denum and bile ducts the embryos seem to be taken in at intervals 

 throughout the year. The intermediate host would seem to 

 live in the water or in the vegetation and might be sought among 

 molluscs or crustaceans. 



Symptoms. Toward the end of summer the sheep lose flesh 

 and go on in November and December to marked emaciation. The 

 head appears large for the wasted body, the wool flattened and 

 wanting in yolk, the skin attenuated from lack of subcutaneous 

 fat (paper skin), there is pot-belly with fluctuation from ascites, 

 or there may be serous effusion under the skin beneath the abdo- 

 men, and less frequently under the lower jaw. The sheep moves 

 stiffly, lags behind the flock when driven, and seems to have diffi- 

 culty in browsing on the shorter grass. They turn and stamp at 



