The Sun.
London, England, 1865-11-23 00:00:00

A New Parasite•

M. Lacaze-Duthiers has sent an interesting paper
to the Academy of Sciences on a curious parasite
observed by him on the polypifer of an Antipa-
tharia (black coral) called Gerardia. This parasite
has a small flat body, of the form of a bean, and
of a rose colour, being to all appearance capsules
in the soft tissues of the Gerardia. On opening
one of these small bodies, M. Lacaze saw a
swarm of minute and living animalcules issue forth,
and, upon examination, found them to be the em-
bryos of certain crustacea. The shell of the bean
seemed to be a sort of nest intended to protect a
quantity of eggs in progress of development ; but,
on examining some portions of its substance through
a microscope, our author became aware of the
existence of certain histological elements, revealing
a living body, and by no means a secretion. M.
Lacaze describes it as follows :—" Imagine a very
small lobster, not more than one or two
centimetres in length ; imagine the thoracic
part of the shell, comprised between the head
and the abdomen, to be extended beyond all
measure—in other words, this part of the
body to be enormously developed with
respect to the rest ; let this thoracic portion now be
bent double, so as to form a large flat pocket, open
only on one side ; you will then have a tolerable idea
of this creature, which has shut itself up in a shell,
from the centre of which its body is suspended by
the back." The body, or fleshy part of the animal,
is small, not more, as stated above, than one
or two
centimetres in length, but its shell as described is
from three to four centimetres long. It is con-
siderably arched, and its head, the functions of
which are extremely limited, remains verysmall. The
abdomen, composed of articulated segments, is pro-
vided with six pairs of legs symmetrically placed ;
the only inner organ is a large digestive tube of a
yellowish colour. This shellfish is not inscribed in
the catalogue of crustacea ; our author accordingly
makes a new genus of it under the name of Laura,
to which he adds the specific name Gera,rdia3, on
account of its having been discovered on the Anti-
patharia of that name. The animal creeps into
the tissues of the Gerardia, and derives its
curiously
constituted. nutriment from it. The shell is
constituted. Its substance is nearly gly ; it isns'
pierced with an innumerable number of small pores,
from each of which capillary tubes radiate to the
body, and it is through this sort of hair, if we may
call it so, that the juices which are to serve the
polypus as a nourishment arc sucked in. Other
parasitical crustacea are generally attached to the
body on which they feed by their mouths or by means
of suckers ; but in the case of the Laura there is
nothing of the kind, for its mouth and members
have no communication with the external world.

THE NATIONAL POULTRY COMPANY.—Minasi's
machine for artificial incubation is now in active
operation at these works at Bromley, Kent, where numbers
of fine and healthy fowls, hatched and reared by the new
process, incontestably prove that the cheapening of poultry
to a great extent, and yet to admit of a highly remunera-
tive return upon the capital invested, is an accomplished
fact. Tho share list of this company will close shortly,
after which we shall hope to find that so practical and im-
portant a movement is spreading its benefits far and wide.
VALUE OF LAND IN YORKSHIRE.—At the Talbot
Hotel, Malton, on Friday, Messrs. Boulton and
Son offered the South Holmo and West Ness estates, in
the North Riding, the property of the late Rev. Charles
Hall, rector of Terrington, for competition by public auc-
tion. The estates aro situate about nine miles north of
Malton, and are purely agricultural. The area is about
566 acres, and in one lot Mr. Barker, of North Shields,
WAS the last bidder at X 30,000, or rather over thirty-
three years' purchase. The estates were bought in at
£32,000, and afterwards offered in three lots, Mr. E. Rose,
of Malton, being the last bidder in each case, the totals
being £29,400—0r £6OO less than in one lot. The reserves
were £33,000.