SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY. 
219 
parietes were composed of cutaneous and muscular strata. The former 
consisted of a corium externally covered by imbricated longitudinal layers 
of a beautifully delicate minute epidermis, much resembling that on 
ophidians ; the latter was made up of three layers in the following relation 
from the corium inwards : two oblique intersecting each other at an acute 
angle, a longitudinal, a circular, all varying in the degree of development in 
different situations. The combined muscular and cutaneous tunics consti- 
tuted about one-eighth part of the total body diameter, and formed a “ tube 
chamu” to the loosely-lying contained viscera. The mouth was a small 
circular aperture in the centre of a papilla, occupying the most prominent 
portion of the rounded anterior extremity of the worm, and the longitudinal 
muscular layer diverging from it was very strongly pronounced. Continuous 
from this was the oesophagus, about — inch in length, and ~ i nc h i n thick- 
ness, with strongly pronounced walls made up of a longitudinal and circular 
muscular layer. At the junction of the gullet with the stomach was a 
clearly-defined sphincter. The stomach, or rather alimentary tube, into 
which the oesophagus opened, expanded from the sphincter into a delicate 
membraneous canal nearly inch in thickness, pursued a straight course 
along the body length of the worm, diminishing at the centre to j— inch, 
and could be traced to within half an inch of the tail end, where it 
terminated in a csecal extremity about of an inch in diameter, lying 
between the convoluted ovarian tubes, or, in the case of the male worm, 
either above or below the sperm duct. Its delicate wall was made up of 
very fine longitudinal and circular fibres, and retained within it fat globules 
and granules, and not uncommonly red colouring matter, doubtless derived 
from the blood of the host. The alimentary canal was encircled throughout 
its entire length by the reproductive organs. It will thus be seen that there 
was no anal aperture, a circumstance possibly connected with the life 
history of the worm passed within the vascular canals of the host, and with 
the nutriment obtained from a vital fluid comparatively free from effete 
products j the alimentary excreta of the parasite being thus reduced to a 
minimum, if not an actual nullity. 
On Microscopic Cements. — Mr. F. Kitton makes some remarks on this sub- 
ject in a letter to the editor of the “Monthly Microscopical Journal” 
(No. 61), which are worthy of being recorded. He says : — “ For dry mount- 
ing, where only very shallow cells are required, I have found nothing better 
than asphalte dissolved in benzole, with a small quantity of gold size added. 
The cells should be made by the addition of successive layers of varnish, 
each layer to be hardened before the next is put on. When thick enough, 
the slides should be placed in a cool oven and allowed to remain all night. 
In order to attach the cover, I put a fresh layer of asphalte (without gold 
size) on the surface of the cell, and allow it to remain exposed 5 or 6 minutes. 
The cover may now be placed upon it, and pressed upon the cell by a slide, 
previously heated to ensure perfect contact, and it may now be finished off 
with an exterior ring of the asphalte (No. 2) ; or if it is wished to put a 
coloured ring or rings round it, a layer of ordinary shell-lac varnish should 
be run round it before using them. I have found the dammar cement, made 
by Mr. W. White, of Litcham, the best medium for mixing the colours 
with •, a few drops of gold size may be added with advantage. I would 
