F. J. Meggitt 
275 
Life-history. 
The only work in connection with the life-history has been done by 
Grassi and Rovelli (1892) who found this form in Lombardy. From 
pens inhabited by infected fowls they obtained many brandlings 
{Allolobophora foetida Eis.) containing cysticercoids. After a careful 
examination of these cysticercoids and a comparison with adult forms 
found in the various vertebrates in the vicinity, they came to the con¬ 
clusion that these must be the larval stages of Amoebotaenia sjAienoides. 
No feeding experiments were made however, so that the life-history 
still remains hypothetical. 
My own investigations have so far only yielded negative results. 
In the two fields to which the infected poultry have access, I have never 
found any trace of brandlings whatever. This result seems to point 
to the conclusion that, in England at least, the intermediate host is 
another species. This cannot be said to be altogether unexpected, for 
it may be recalled that of the three species of slugs {Limax cinereus, 
L. agrestis, and L. variegatus) recorded by these investigators as inter¬ 
mediate hosts of Davainea proglotlina, one the more usual {L. variegatus) 
is not a British form. It is therefore quite possible that the Cestode in 
question, Amoebotaenia splienoides, may have different hosts in England, 
Europe and South America. 
REFERENCES. 
Cohn, L (1899). Zur Systematik der Vogeftaenian. Centralhl. f. Balt. u. Parasit. 
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- (1901). Zur Anatomie und Systematik der Vogelcestoden. Nov. Act. Accad. 
nat. cur., Halle, Vol. lxxix. p. 381. 
Fuhkmann, O. (1908). Die Cestoden der Vogel. Zool. Jahrb., Jena, Suppl. 10, 
Part I, p. 60. 
Gbassi and Rovelli (1889). Embryologische Forschungen an Cestoden. Centralhl. 
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- (1892). Ricerche embriologiche sui Cestodi. Atti Accad. Gioenia Sci. Nat. 
Catania, Ser. 4, pp. 29, 88. 
VON Linstow, 0. (1872). Sechs neue Taenian. Arch. f. Naturg. Vol. xxxvni. Bd. 1, 
p. 56. ' 
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PiANA, G. P. (1880-1881). Di una nuova specie di Tenia del gallo domestico {Taenia 
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