692 
BIBLIOGRAPHY. 
zoorum Historia naturalis, 1808). It would certainly be diffi¬ 
cult for a helminthologist to find a better motto, for if he 
compares the descriptions of various parasites given by dif¬ 
ferent authors he will finally be convinced that merely a short 
Latin diagnosis unaccompanied by figures is scarcely enough 
to enable investigators to definitely and correctly determine- 
a species. If a helminthologist follows the motto, “ Drink 
deep or taste not,” he will also be compelled not only to 
consult the entire literature upon a given species before he 
tries to make any statements in regard to it, but he will study 
the internal anatomy of the organism, and, if possible, will ex¬ 
amine the original specimen. Braun, in the article now under 
review, has given a good illustration of the difficulties under 
which the helminthologist of the present day is obliged to- 
work. He attempted to determine some flukes he found in 
the livers of cats. Upon consulting the literature he saw that 
not only had each species been insufficiently described under 
several different namds, but different species had been de¬ 
scribed under one and the same name. The descriptions and 
figures was so contradictory that he was finally compelled to 
look up the original specimens. He .obtained specimens from 
various parts of Europe, some of them types, compared them 
with the descriptions, and has at last succeeded in unravel¬ 
ing the tangle into which thd synonyma of these distomes has 
fallen. 
His results, briefly stated, are as follows : Three species of 
flukes are recognized in the liver of cats in Europe ; some of 
these species occur in other animals as well. The following 
analytical tabid (made from Braun’s specific diagnoses), the 
table of synonyms, and the specific diagnoses will enable the 
reader to distinguish the three different species: 
" Body less than 5 mm. long, covered with spines; ovary 
round or oval. 2. 
Body 10-18 mm. long, lanceolate; ovary lobulate. 
. Distoma felineum _ 
