Collyricloides massanae (Trematoda: Collyriclidae) is described from cysts in the wall of the small intestine of a starling (Sturnus vulgaris L.) in the Netherlands. The original description was from a yellow necked mouse, Apodemus flavicollis (Melchior), so this is the first record of this species in birds.

The nematode Nothacrobeles lanceolatus was described in arid soils from Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park, province of Almería (Spain). Since then this species has not been found again. In this study, new data on the distribution and morphological, morphometrical and molecular characteristics (based on 18S and 28S ribosomal DNA) of N. lanceolatus is provided. This species is characterized by having a tessellated cuticle, with its inner layer bearing two rows of cuticular punctations per annulus, lips quadrangular with eight pinnae, labial probolae bifurcate with divergent prongs surrounded by pinnae, pharynx with corpus 2.5–4.0 times isthmus length, post-vulval uterine sac 1.4–2.2 times the corresponding body diameter, and female and male tails conical, bearing a conical mucro with acute terminus. The phylogenetic position of this and related species of the genus Nothacrobeles is discussed. Additionally, bacteria (Pasteuria) and fungi (Catenaria, Nematocida) feeding on N. lanceolatus are showed including light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy illustrations.

Bilharziasis is unquestionably one of the major parasitic diseases of Southern Africa where both the urinary and intestinal forms occur. When it presents in the classical form, the diagnosis either from the clinical or laboratory viewpoint is seldom a major problem; but when, as so often happens, the presenting features have little in common with the accepted text-book descriptions of the disease, diagnosis becomes a matter of considerable difficulty.

Episthmium everardi sp.n. is described from a bird, Pitangus sulfuratus, from Trinidad, W.I. It differs from all other species in the genus in having 20 circumoral spines, each 20 to 22 long, and in the shape of the body, which is attenuated at its anterior end.

A D-D mixture was tested against the Root-Knot Eelworm, Heterodera marioni (Cornu), in a glasshouse devoted to the growing of tomatoes under commercial conditions in South Wales. The effects of four different rates of application, namely, 0, 200, 300 and 400 lb. per acre injected at a depth of seven inches at staggered points fifteen inches apart were investigated.

Improvements in growth of the tomatoes and reductions in the eelworm manifestations on the roots were produced in proportion to the increases in the dosage rate. Height of the plants, number of flower trusses and yield of fruit were selected for actual measurements of the effects produced on the growth of the tomato plant. All of them showed a graduated response to the injections at 200, 800 and 400 lb. per acre, the yields of marketable tomatoes, for example, being at the three dosage levels, respectively, about 200, 850 and 450 per cent. higher than in the controls.

The nematocidal effects were measured independently by grading the roots into four distinct categories, according to the severity of the pathological manifestations associated with the presence of Heterodera marioni. Judging by the results obtained in this way, D-D reduced the infestation by something like 25, 50 and 75 per cent, when injected at the rate of 200, 800 and 400 lb. per acre respectively. No information regarding the quantity necessary to effect complete extermination is available but it seems that an application exceeding 400 lb. would be imperative for this purpose at least in heavily infected soils where 70 per cent, of the plants are liable to suffer severe infestations.

The feasibility of infecting laboratory rabbits experimentally with the ovine nematode Nematodirus spathiger was examined. Eight-week-old rabbits were dosed either with 5000 or with 17 000 third-stage larvae and killed on days 10, 21 or 42 post-infection. With the lower dose, 20 to 40% of the inoculum were recovered at necropsy. Similar values were recovered at necropsy. Similar values were observed with the 17 000 dose on days 10 and 21 post-infection, but on day 42 the worm population was residual (0·6%). With both dose levels, during the course of infection, the worm populations were mainly composed of fourth-stage larvae and worm egg excretion was low. N. spathiger mainly inhabited the proximal jejunum. The results were compared with N. spathiger infection in sheep to assess the usefulness of the rabbit as an experimental model for Nematodirus infection.

Thiamine pyrophosphatase and nucleoside diphosphatase have been studied histochemically in Raillietina (Raillietina) johri. Thiamine pyrophosphatase activity has been observed in the tegument, subtegumental muscle, subtegumental cells, medullary parenchyma, excretory canal and various reproductive structures like testes, ovary, vas deferens, spermatozoa and vitellaria. Eggs exhibit moderate enzyme activity. Various nucleoside diphosphates have been found to be hydrolyzed by thiamine pyrophosphatase. CaC12, MgC12 and MnC12 each activated the enzyme at a final concentration of 6 mM whereas cysteine, reduced glutathione and PCMB inhibited the enzyme activity at a final concentration of 10 mM, 10 mM and 20mM, respectively. KCN and NaF had no effect on the enzyme staining at concentration as high as 50 mM and 30 mM, respectively. Possible roles of the enzyme in the parasite have been discussed.

While investigating Red Ring Disease of coconuts, the authors detected Rhadinaphelenchus cocophilus (Cobb, 1919) Goodey, 1960 in the root systems of three otherwise healthy coconut trees. One of these was about seven years old; the roots and the stem were sampled five times weekly but no stem or petiole infection was detected. A similar state of affairs was detected in the second tree. In neither case over a period of several weeks was there evidence of upward movement of the worm into the stem. The third tree was more interesting: the first sampling disclosed the presence of the nematodes in only one sample of roots out of four taken equidistantly around the stem; subsequent examination showed that the infection spread through the root system in the neighbourhood of the base of the tree until at the end of one month, worms were recovered from all parts of the proximal root system and the population had increased to 100–150 worms per gm. of root: many of these were sexually mature; after a further two weeks, there was still no upward movement into the stem.

A new species, Filaroides cebuellae sp.n., is described from the lung of a pygmy marmoset, Cebuella pygmaea. F. cebuellae is the first lungworm of the genus to be recorded from this host.

The isoenzymatic pattern of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (abbreviation G6PD) from Ascaris suum has been studied by vertical polyacrylamide gel (PAGE) and horizontal starch gel electrophoresis. After polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, two stained zones could be identified. One corresponded to tetrazolium oxidase activity; since this zone was stained even in the absence of glucose 6-phosphate (G6P), non-specific staining could be detected. In the other zone of activity, seven regularly-spaced bands were identified by staining in the presence of G6P and NADP as substrates. By using starch gel electrophoresis, different electrophoretic patterns for G6PD have been observed in the muscular sac, intestine and reproductive system from A. suum. The existence of three different alleles of G6PD in the same individual suggests the existence of at least two genes for this enzyme.

The life history of Grysoma indica n.sp., a psilostome trematode, obtained experimentally in ducklings, after feeding with metacercariae occurring in the snail Thiara tuberculata, is elucidated. Natural infections with cercariae were found in T. tuberculata, collected from a freshwater stream at Visakhapatnam, India. Metacercarial cysts were found in the same and other species of snails in the locality. The new species differs from other species of the genus in the sucker proportions, position of the testes and distribution of the vitelline follicles.

A new species of filarial worm, Paronchocerca mansoni, a cardiac parasite of Pica pica sericea (Gould) and Cyanopica cyana interposita Hartert, is reported from Peking, China. The thread-like adults of both species taper towards anterior and posterior ends. The cuticle exhibits superficial rugae, with multiple transverse striations underneath. The lipless mouth is surrounded by 4 paired submedian papillae and one lateral pair of amphids. The posterior end of the body is curved ventrad; the post-anal region is short. The male measures 17 mm. long and 0·14 mm. in diameter; the female, 35·8 mm. long by 0·23 mm. in diameter. In both sexes the anterior muscular oesophagus is short, the posterior glandular portion much longer. In the male, there are two pairs of pre-anal and one pair of post-anal papillae, likewise one pair of subterminal caudal papillae. There are neither caudal alae nor gubernaculum. The longer left spicule and the shorter right one have distinct species-characteristic morphological patterns. In the female, the vulva opens approximately 2·0 mm. from the anterior end. The microfilariae are sheathless; immature ones preponderate in heart blood; mature ones, present in heart blood and exclusively in circulating blood, measure 147 to 184 by 6·0 to 6·5 microns.

Adult trematodes identified as Galactosomum ussuriense Oshmarin, 1963 were recorded from the intestine of Sterna hirundo and Larus brunnicephalus from Visakhapatnam, India. The occurrence of metacercaria of this species in inshore and offshore fishes is discussed in relation to the ecology of the snail intermediate host.

Four samples of trematode parasites were collected from imported Abdim's storks at the Zoological gardens “Artis”, Amsterdam. The first collection was made during autopsy of a bird that had been in “Artis” for several years; some months later, the parasites were discovered in the oesophagus and mouth cavity of birds that were imported from Africa only recently. Ultimately, a number of trematodes belonging to the same species have been scraped out of the mouth cavities of 5 living Abdim's storks. My thanks are due to Mr. P. Zwart, veterinary surgeon, Utrecht, and to Dr. E. Jacobi, manager of “Artis”, Amsterdam, for collecting the parasites and making them available for taxonomic studies.

Female ICR mice, 5 to 6 weeks old, were exposed by stomach tube to 25 metacercarial cysts of Echinostoma caproni per mouse. At 14 days post-exposure, mice were fed by stomach tube clorsulon (1000 mg/kg, 25 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg) or rafoxanide (50 mg/kg, 25 mg/kg and 5 mg/kg) dissolved in dimethy lsulphoxide (DMSO) carrier and mebendazole (1000mg/kg and 500 mg/kg) or arprinocid (100 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg) suspended in a2:1 polyethylene glycol (PEG)/DMSO carrier. All drugs were obtained from Meerck In. (Rahway, New Jersey, USA) and only single dose regimes were used. Experimentally infected mice that served as controls received either DMSO or 2:1 PEG/DMSO carriers or were not given the carrier. Mice were necropsied 15v, 16, 18 and 20 days post-exposure to worms. Doses of 100 mg/kg of clorsulon and 50 mg/kg of rafoxanide were 100% effective in eliminating the echinostomes on day 1 post-administration of the anthelmintics. Mebendazole and arprinocid were ineffection in eliminating worms at 1 or 2 days post drug daministration.

Employing papain as the enzyme and agarose bound Ricinus communis agglutinin as the affinity gel, a glycoprotein has been isolated and purified from the surface of Ascaridia galli. The glycoprotein shows an apparent molecular weight of 68 kilo daltons and contains fucose, galactose, rhamnose and glucosamine as sugar moieties. Only 2% of its entire molecule has been found to possess α-helical configuration.

Lyophilized eggs of Schistosoma mansoni, when incubated briefly with serum from infected mice, bind antibodies, as made evident by subsequent binding of flurorescein labelled anti-IgG or 125 I-labelled protein A. On the basis of these findings, a radioimmunoassay was devised which employs whole lyophilized eggs (500 or 250 eggs/serum sample) as antigenic particles and 125 I-labelled protein A as a probe for antibody binding. Only 10 μl of serum are required to obtain 90% of the maximal binding. Kinetic studies indicated that 70% of the maximal seropositivity develops in mice between five and six weeks after a light infection, reaches a maximum at eight weeks and fluctuates around a high plateau thereafter. Pre-incubation of the test serum with soluble egg antigen (sea) considerably inhibits antibody binding to the eggs, suggesting that SEA-like antigens participate in the reaction.

Travassos (1937) in his monograph on Trichostrongylidae Leiper, 1912, deals with Trichostrongyles belonging to 91 genera under 13 subfamilies of which 4 are new. He places Molineus Cameron, 1923, along with 33 other genera in the type subfamily Trichostrongylinae Leiper, 1908. Subsequently Skrjabin and Schulz (1937) erected the subfamily Molineinae with Molineus as type.

A new Indian species of Paraphelenchus is described and compared with P. basili Das, 1960, also from India, and with other known species of the genus.

Part of the cestode fauna of ten hyraxes captured in Kenya was studied.

The species of hyrax were Procavia habessinica Hemprich and Ehrenberg and Heterohyrax syriacus Schreber.

One hundred and five cestodes were fixed, stained, mounted and examined. Descriptions of specimens, including measurements, are recorded in text and figures.