THE ANNALS AND MAGAZINE OF NATUKAL HISTOKY. [FIFTH SERIES.] No. 33. SEPTEMBER 1880. XXIII. — On the Pentastomum polyzonum of Harley ; with a Note on the Synonymy of the allied SjJecies. By F. Jeffrey Bell, M.A. The interest and importance which attach to an exact knowledge of the history and distribution of all entozoic para-sites induce me to give as careful a description as is possible of two specimens of a species of Pentastomum which were lately forwarded to the British Museum by Mr. W. E. Dawes. They had been taken from a "boa constrictor" which had been in Wombwell's menagerie. Unfortunately the skin was not examined while in a condition in which the species could be definitely distinguished ; but Dr. Gtinther is satis-fied that the specimens were taken from an African python ; they are said to have been found in the " flesh of the body " as well as " within the intestines." As in so many other branches of zoology, the question of synonymy still hampers the progress of investigation ; and it will be necessary to direct attention to the names of several of these Arachnoid forms which are known to be parasitic in the Ophidia. The most common entozoon of this genus would appear to be the P. jproboscideum of Budolphi, to which I should be inclined to give rather the name of P. crotali ; for the syno-nymy of Diesing*, and of Rudolphi himself f, seem to me to * Monog. Pentastoma, p. 21. t Eutoz. Synopsis, p. 434. Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 5. Vol. vi. 13
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