12 Verm, 
VERMES. 
a peculiar, though in most instances artificial variety, distinguished not 
only by biological, but also by external and internal characters ; small 
size, imperfect development of the terminal hooks, want of the lateral 
pads (vulva)) (internal self-fecundation therefore here is alone pos- 
sible), modifications of testis, bvaria of the coronet of the “ cirrus,” 
suppression of oviduct, more backward position, therefore, of the genital 
opening (in several of these modifications there are striking analogies 
with P. ocellaturri)^ a different shape of the spermatozoa [!] ; the eggs, 
however (which are expelled singly, no oviduct being present for their 
retention), their mode of evolution, the larvas, &c., are identical ; when 
hatched they will be in company with more advanced tadpoles only, and 
therefore in their turn go through the normal slow cycle of development, 
and thus return to the ordinary type of the species. The evolution of 
the egg is also very remarkable, as described by the author, but cannot 
bo recorded here ; it may be noted that the embryo is developed from 
the “ ovulum ” or “ egg-cell ” only, and literally eats the nutritive yelk ; 
and that the four eyes and the booklets of the adhesive disc are not transi- 
tory organs, but preserved during life. 
R. Leuckaut ( Jahresbericht, 1. c. p. 723) cites an observation of Wcin- 
land (Weichthierf. d. schwiib. Alp, Stuttg. 1875, p. 101) intimating that 
the Cercarice of Limnana might possibly be the larvie of Distomum liepati- 
cum ; they showed a decided propensity to creep about on foreign objects, 
and might perhaps be encysted upon stems of grass (?) in the vicinity 
of water, and thus be swallowed by sheep. 
Genera and Species. 
Distoma crassum^ Busk, the large human fluke, allied to D. lanceolatuin^ 
is redescribed by Cobbold (6, b, c.) from specimens derived from persons 
formerly residing in China (its 'larval form might possibly reside in 
Ningpo oysters). D. sinense [Zool. Rec. xii. p. 53G] is named D. spatu- 
latunij by Leuckart (3, p. 871), and macconelU^ by Cobbold (Veterin., 1. c. 
p. 98). D. conjunctum^ Cobb., hitherto known from the American fox 
and Indian pariah-dogs, is re-discovered by McConnell (7) in man in 
India. On D, hepaticum in the horse, Veterin. 1. c. pp. 764 & 765 ; on 
the contemporaneous frequency of liver-flukes in sheep and hares in 
certain localities in Sweden, Tidsk. f. Veterin. (Stockholm) 1876, pp. 169. 
D. magnum, sp. n., Bassi (in the liver of stags), Medico- Veterin. 1875. 
D. lancea, Dies. (6a, pi. x. fig. 1), from the duodenum of Orcella hreviros- 
iris\ campula, Cobb. {C. ohlonga, olim), 1. c. pi. x., fig. 2, from the liver- 
ducts of Platanista gangetica ; andersoni, sp. n., Cobb., 1. c. fig. 3, from 
the intestine of the same ; tursionis, sp. n., Marchi, Atti Soc. Ital. xv. 4, 
from the intestine of Delphinus tursio ; ichthyophorboe, sp. n., Grebnitzky 
[Materials for a fauna of Southern Russia] (cited after Leuckart). 
Bilharzia bovis, sp. n., Sonsino (Rend. Acc. Nap. 1876), perhaps 
identical with B. licematobia of men and apes. The occurrence of a 
similar species in the blood of sheep is also announced ; also that of a 
new fluke {Diplostoma or Ilcmistoma cegyptiaca, Cobb., not described) 
from the intestine of the horse in Egypt ; Vetdriu. 1. c. p. 757. 
