The Rot in Shefp. 103 
the digestive organs, but not with the success we could have 
wished. 
Fig. G. 
Oral Sucker and CEsophagean Sphincter. Highly magnified. 
Oral Sucker and (Esophagus. — These parts of the distoma seem 
not to have received that amount of attention which is necessary 
to explain the double function they have to perform — namely, 
of an inlet and outlet to the bile on which the entozoon exists. 
Examined with a low magnifying power, the oral sucker and 
oesophagus appear to be continuous as a simple funnel-shaped 
body, situated immediately above the bifurcation of the digestive 
tube. They will, however, be found to be far more complex in 
their arrangement when carefully dissected under the microscope. 
The sucker itself (a, Jig. 6) is formed on the same plan as the 
ventral one, with its raised and rounded border, and sunken centre. 
Directly at the bottom of the concavity an opening leads to the 
CESophagus (b,Jig. 6), a short tube represented as slightly dilating 
inferiorly, where it divides into two principal branches (c). 
From its commencement to its termination the oesophagus is 
surrounded with bundles of muscular fibres (dd). These fibres 
run- lengthways by the side of the tube, reaching from its upper 
to its lower part, and so embracing it as to form an elongated 
sphincter. The artist, by intersecting lines at the lower part 
of the cesophagus, has attempted to show that the fibres surround 
the canal, and with the object also of bringing it into view, 
he has represented a portion of the sphincter as being cut away 
in front. Although the cesophagus lies in the centre of the 
muscular fibres, these are not equally developed all around it, 
but are stronger on the lateral parts than on the back or front. 
Early after commencing the study of the anatomy of the liver- 
fluke — now several years since — we had an opportunity of seeing 
the entozoon eject from its oral opening considerable portions of 
the contents of the digestive tubes. We first witnessed this on 
placing one, obtained directly after slaughtering a sheep, in some 
