ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
527 
Manson’s name, and ho now gives in French an account of it, which no 
doubt will he useful to those who are occupied with these worms. 
New Acanthocephalid.* — Mr. A. E. Shipley describes, under the 
name of Arhjnchus hemignatlii, a new genus of this group of parasites 
which was found by Mr. Perkins adhering lightly to the skin around 
the anus of Hemignathus procerus, a bird found in one of the Sandwich 
Islands. Each of these parasites was divided into three regions — a head, 
collar, and trunk. Though clearly an Acanthocephalid, the creature 
differed from the other members of the group in the absence of what 
is perhaps their most characteristic organ, the hooked proboscis. The 
absence of so characteristic a structure, and the fact that the parasites 
were external and not internal, led to the suspicion that the hooked 
proboscis had been left behind in the intestine of the host. Careful 
inspection failed to reveal any scar or mark which would justify this 
view. The author gives a detailed account of the anatomy of this new 
form, and proceeds to discuss its position among the Acanthocephala. He 
finds it necessary to form for it a new family, the Aihynchidse, which 
may be defined as short forms, with the body divided into three well- 
marked regions — the head is pitted, the collar smooth, and the trunk 
wrinkled. There is no eversible introvert, and no introvert sheath and 
no hooks. The subcuticle and the lemnisci have a few giant nuclei, 
and the lemnisci are long and coiled. In the last-mentioned point this 
family resembles the Gigantorhynchidas, and in other characters the 
Neorhynchidae, but in a number of important characters they stand 
alone. It is probable that the second host of this parasite, if such 
exists, must be looked for among insects. 
Platyhelminth.es, 
Polyclads of New Britain.f — Dr. A. Willey finds that the Polyclad 
fauna of Blanche Bay, New Britain, is rich both in species and indi- 
viduals. One very fine form attained a length of 66 mm. A new 
species which the author calls Planocera discoides is of great beauty. 
The body was remarkably transparent, so that the branches of the 
intestine could be well seen through the walls. It had a circular disc of 
egg-capsules. This disc had the appearance of consisting of a series 
of concentric circles, but closer examination showed that the rows were 
arranged spirally. 
Parasites of Egypt.*— Prof. M. Braun has an extended notice of 
the first part of Dr. A. Looss’s researches on the parasites of Egypt. He 
gives the work high praise, and calls attention to the sixteen beautiful 
plates with which it is illustrated. The text is divided into two parts, 
the first of which deals with 31 species of Trematodes, 20 of which are 
new. The second gives data for the developmental history of some of 
the species, and describes the stages of some forms whose history is as 
yet incompletely known. The common liver-fluke, as found in Egypt, 
differs sufficiently from the European form to be distinguished as a 
variety. It has a longer body, a shorter cephalic cone, a more richly 
* Quart. Journ. Mikr. Sci., xxxix. (1896) pp. 207-18 (1 pi ). 
t j-Tom. cit., pp. 153-9 (6 figs.). 
t See Central bh f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., xx. (1896) pp. 107-15, 
