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Show 1876.] DR. T. S. COBBOLD ON ENTOZOA. 297 cules slightly winged at the extremity ; tail of the female with the terminal spine continuous and scarcely distinct. Males measuring up to §" in length ; females to |" long, with a thickness of -2 lj" at the widest part. I have given two illustrations representing the tails of either sex (figs. 14 and 15). The profile view shows but one spiculum, the other being concealed by its side. I could not find the situation of the reproductive opening in the female. The uterine branches were filled with nearly spherical ova, measuring from -g^o" to J^JJ" from pole to pole. The more advanced in development contained coiled embryos. 16. ASCARIS SIMPLEX, Rud. Dr. John Anderson's small but interesting collection of parasites also showed four characteristic specimens of this species. They had been obtained by the donor from the intestines of the Dolphin of the Ganges (Platanista gangetica). Singular to say, all the examples were of the female sex, the two largest measuring about If" from head to tail. The smaller worms did not either of them exceed one inch in length. In connexion with these specimens, all of which were carefully examined by me on the 28th of last September, I have only to add that they presented the peculiarly flexed state of the chylous intestine or stomach as described by Dujardiu. As that distinguished helminthologist had already accurately surmised, the Ascaris delphini of Rudolphi must clearly be regarded as identical with this species. 17. ASCARIS LEPTURA, Rud. In addition to the above-described species, Dr. Anderson's collection also shows three specimens of a small nematode taken from the intestine and cloaca of a tortoise (Testudo elongata). Two of them are of the male sex, measuring a trifle over half an inch, the female being nearly three quarters of an inch long. 18. OXYURIS OBESA, Diesing. (Plate XXI.) In the collection of entozoa which I received from Mr. Charles Darwin, F.R.S., in the month of August, 1862, there were five specimens of this nematode. Unfortunately Mr. Darwin?s M S. has been mislaid. I have little doubt, however, that these parasites were obtained from the intestinal canal of a Capybara in the year 1832. All the worms were females, their heads displaying six very conspicuous papillae, three of which I have represented in profile in the accompanying Plate (fig. 16). The point of the tail varied so considerably in form that I have added representations of it from two specimens." The extremity was in all cases marked by the presence of a small conical transparent process, the centre of which showed a distinct cavity containing fine granules (figs. 17 and 18). The eggs have a long, oval, almost elliptical form, some of them exhibiting a finely sculptured external envelope. Three membranes were distinctly visible (fig. 19). Some of them showed a distinct separation of the |
