778 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [60] 



acterizcd by successive enlargements, so as to h ave a decidedly monili- 

 form outline. The segmeuts from which these sections were made were 

 constricted at the extremities and bulging in the middle. The longitu- 

 dinal fibers conformed to this subspherical shape, being straight in the 

 vicinity of the median line and curving towards the margins. 



The cirrus in these sections is seen to be long and slender and to lie 

 in many convolutions within a cylindrical sheath which extends at least 

 to the middle of the segment. The center of the segment is filled with 

 large, coarse granular masses, the spermatic capsules of the testis. 



The ovary is a folded or crumpled glandular organ and lies near the 

 posterior edge. In the middle of the ovary, in two of the sections, there 

 was a circular body, like a rosette, which is probably the shell gland. 



A convoluted sinuous tube extends from the ovary along the median 

 line. It was traced nearly to the base of the cirrus sheath where it was 

 lost. It is probably the vagina, which in living specimens was seen 

 to open immediately in front of the cirrus, but which was not evident 

 in these sections. These sections did not contain any ova. The speci- 

 men from which the sectioned segments were taken was evidently im- 

 mature. 



The mature segments are converted into mere cases for containing 

 ova. Apparently all the tissue of the inner part of the segment, except 

 that which contributes to the formation of ova, is converted into fine 

 fibrous tissue which escapes from the ruptured segments along with 

 the ova and serves to bind them together into loose clusters. Large 

 convoluted masses of very fine fibrous tissue were abundant in the 

 mature segments. 



Spongiobothrium Linton. 



Characters emended. — Body articulate, taeniseform. Head separated 

 from body by neck. Bothria four, in lateral pairs, pediceled, with crisp- 

 folded or auriculate edges, which are crenulate and the auriculate flaps 

 finely costate on account of a marginal row of loculi with muscular bor- 

 ders ; unarmed and without transverse eostae on face. No inyzorhyn- 

 chus, no supplemental disks. Genital apertures marginal. 



The crisp-folded edges of the bothria produce an effect which suggests 

 Leuckart's Bothriocephalus flos (Anthobothrium auriculatmnv&r. centifo- 

 lium Dies.) The costate flaps suggest relationship to Rhinebothrium. 



The bothria are not opposite in the sense of being cruciformly ar- 

 ranged, as might be inferred from the original description, but are in 

 lateral pairs, each being, in fact, the termination of an apparently im- 

 mobile pedicel. 



13. Spongiobothrium variabile Linton. 



Report of U. S. Fish Commission for 1886, pp. 4G2-464, Plate II, figs. 13-19. 



Specific characters emended. — Head broad, appressed. Bothria four 

 pediceled, fan-shaped, in lateral pairs, their faces and margins with 

 numerous frill-like lobes which are sometimes gathered into a more or 



