86 The Sunjish as a Host. 



genus Tetrarhynchus, established by Kudolphi at a very early 

 date. At the risk, therefore, of appearing inconsistent, we 

 believe it to be in the interest of science to place the worm 

 under this genus, whilst we retain the specific title " reptans" 

 as fitly expressing its groping habits. 



If attention be now directed to the accompanying plate, a 

 correct understanding of the organization of this remarkable 

 Cestode will be greatly facilitated. Fig. 1 represents a very 

 juvenile example of Orthagoriscus, which was taken by fisher- 

 men off Anstruther, on the Fifeshire coast, on the 6th of 

 September, 1856. Several full-grown individuals had been 

 captured in the same neighbourhood some weeks previous, one 

 very large example being subsequently anatomized by the pro- 

 fessor of anatomy at the Edinburgh University. The small fish 

 here drawn gave the following dimensions : length from snout 

 to tail, eighteen inches ; between tips of dorsal and anal fins, 

 twenty-six inches ; greatest depth of the body, twelve inches ; 

 length of pectoral fins, two inches and a half ; width of gill 

 aperture, one inch; consequently it will be perceived that our 

 illustration represents the animal reduced to about one-sixth 

 the natural size. Having placed our fish on its left side, 

 a considerable portion of the integument was removed so as to 

 expose the great lateral muscular mass of the right side, and 

 more particularly also the abdominal viscera which are here 

 retained in situ. At the upper border of the ventral cavity the 

 liver is shown resting, as it were, upon the stomach, the latter 

 being insensibly continued into the uniformly thick intestine ; 

 and the gut, after making five or six distinct sigmoidal flex- 

 ures, terminates in front of the anal fin by a patent orifice. 

 The surface of the liver was scarred by numerous worm-tracks, 

 a few of the Entozoa still remaining within its substance, while 

 larger and more vigorous specimens were groping their way 

 among the lateral muscles, each worm being surrounded by a 

 smooth and stoutish capsule. Portions only of these investing 

 sheaths are seen in the accompanying drawing, it having been 

 impossible, in the dissection, to expose any one of the parasites 

 in its entirety. Several of them were afterwards dissected out 

 and dropt into a tumbler of sea water, when, to our astonishment 

 — for the fish had been dead about a week, and had been cast 

 aside as refuse by the salesman of whom it was purchased — 

 they moved about actively. On being further deprived of their 

 investing capsules, the proboscidiform tentacula attached to 

 the so-called head, were protruded and retracted in an irregular 

 alternating manner. These movements continued until the 

 third day following, when, muscular irritability having well 

 nigh ceased, they were plunged into alcohol for future use and 

 preservation. Some of the worms removed were from fifteen 



