Until 1934 the life history of Syngamus trachea was usually considered to be direct though Walker in 1886 and Waite in 1920 had both tentatively suggested that earthworms play a part in the dissemination of the parasite. In that year, however, I was able to show conclusively in this laboratory that the rôle they play in transmitting the nematode is a very important one, for by means of this annelid it was possible to effect with certainty heavy infections in various birds of domestic importance. The following year it was shown also that Syngamus from starlings can easily be transmitted to chickens by earthworms: this method apparently overcomes the resistance due to a different “host strain” such as Taylor had previously encountered when he tried to infect chickens directly with material obtained from starlings. In 1938 using earthworms as vectors chickens, pheasants and partridges were easily given definite infections with various other “strains” of Syngamus. Consideration of these results made it no longer possible to ignore the importance of earthworms in the life cycle of “Gapes.”

This investigation was carried out for two reasons, firstly that there would appear to be no detailed description of the changes in the leaf structure in Plantago lanceolata L. under the influence of parasitization by Anguillulina dipsaci (Kühn) Gerv. & v. Ben., and secondly that material for study was readily available.

The examination under the high power of the microscope of the walls of Heterodera cysts found on the roots of Agrostis stolonifera L. (Franklin 1938) showed the presence of rows of markings having the appearance of small punctations, and led to the tentative diagnosis of these cysts as H. punctata Thorne. By the kindness of Dr. Thorne the writer has been able to compare her cysts with some of Dr. Thorne's material, and has found that the surface markings have the same appearance. The writer would like here to acknowledge her indebtedness to Dr. Thorne for kindly lending his material. Cysts of several strains of H. schachtii have since been examined to find out if they also bear distinctive markings of any kind.

Fasciolopsis buski and Gastrodiscoides hominis are recorded as common human infections in Kamrup District, Assam, where the examination of 221 faecal specimens from different localities gave an average infection rate of 59·7% with F. buski and 41·2% with G. hominis. In individual infections G. hominis may occur in very large numbers; 989 specimens were obtained on one occasion by means of soap water enemas which are effective in removing these worms.

Our knowledge of the range of intermediate hosts of which Syngamus trachea can take advantage is increasing. Recent observations have shown that the centipede, Scolopendra sp., the leatherjacket, Tipula sp., and the spring tail, Sminthurus viridis may all act as vectors. In each case the larvae had migrated from the gut into the surrounding tissues where they had settled down. All these Arthropods have been found naturally infected on a plot of land known to be carrying a heavy burden of gapes.

Cephalobus parasiticus Sandground, 1939, reported from the stomachs of monkeys, is shown to resemble the sour paste eelworm, Turbatrix rediviva, so closely as to be identical with it.

It is suggested that the monkeys probably acquired the nematodes by consuming fruit, or some other vegetable substance, on which the worms were living saprophagously; having been brought to the food by visiting flies.

Trichinosis is a disease which is characterised by profound absolute and relative variations in the leucocyte ratios of the circulating blood, more particularly a marked eosinophilia, and in moderate cases, concurrent neutrophilia (van Someren, 1938). It is obvious that these changes in the peripheral blood are the outcome of disturbances in the development of the precursor cells of the haemopoietic system, especially in the bone marrow; the lymphocytogenic tissue in the spleen and lymph glands does not appear to be so markedly activated, except in very severe cases or late in the course of the disease.

Methods of treatment of trichinosis have been reviewed by van Someren (1938), and it was stated that no experimentally confirmed therapeutic measure had yet been found for the treatment of this disease by destruction of the nematodes in the body. In an attempt to discover a satisfactory chemotherapeutic measure, an experimental trial was made of an anthelminthic “Butolan” (Bayer), which has been shown to give very satisfactory results in cases of oxyuriasis, and in some ascariasis infections.

Numerous attempts have been made in the past to induce the eggs of Ascaris suum to hatch outside the body of the host. Extra-corporeal hatching has been observed under a variety of conditions by different workers. Kondo (1920, 1922), Asada (1921) and others record hatching in water, charcoal and sand cultures. Wharton (1915) states that hatching will occur in alkaline digestive juices, while Martin (1913) records a similar phenomenon in pancreatic fluid. Many different explanations have been offered to explain this hatching. Wharton suggested that the interaction of algae and sand might have some effect. Ohba (1923), who found that hatching would occur in 0·2% hydrochloric acid and 0·2% sodium carbonate believed that extra-corporeal hatching was limited to very old cultures of eggs. Many workers are of the opinion that some stimulus normally present in the digestive tract is necessary for hatching.

In 1937 a short paragraph by Whitlock appeared in the Journal of Parasitology commenting on the fact that there appeared to be a sexual difference in the degree of infection with Syngamus trachea of some Hungarian partridges which were being confined at the Michigan State Game Farm. Of 34 infected birds that he examined, 32 were females. He puts forward the suggestion that the strain of egg laying had lowered the vitality of the females to such an extent as to allow of the establishment of the parasite. We must assume therefore that all these birds were fully adult and that they were examined in the spring or early summer.

Hymenolepis microps is a well known cestode inhabiting red grouse Lagopus scoticus, blackcock Lyrurus tetrix and capercailzie Tetrao urogallus in Europe. Recently the presence of this worm in America has been recorded by Jones and in Canada by Clark. In both cases the host was the ruffed grouse, Bonasa umbellus. It is a species which is easily recognisable because it possesses a very large cirrus sac in the mature part of the worm which passes unchanged into the gravid segments. It is found in grouse in the British Isles mainly in the summer months and then it occurs in enormous numbers. When the gut is opened the strobilae appear as a thick rope, being tangled so closely that it is very difficult to obtain a complete specimen.

It has been known for many years that the stem eelworm, Anguillulina dipsaci, can be carried in or upon the seeds of a number of different plants. Kühn (1858) originally found the parasite in the diseased seed heads and seed of the teasel or fuller's thistle. Bos (1888) discovered the worms in the flowers of the onion, Allium Cepa, and found in one case 3 per cent. of the seeds were infected. Godfrey (1924) found infestations of the parasite in the flower heads of cat's-ear, Hypochoeris radicata, and dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, and discovered in both hosts that living worms occurred within the seed coats. He also obtained diseased seedlings by sowing infected seed of both hosts. Hodson (1926) reported the occurrence of the parasite in quiescent form beneath the pales of oats harvested from fields badly affected with “tulip root” and obtained small numbers of infected seedlings by sowing such seed. The number of such cases was, however, so small that he considered their occurrence might be accidental. Robertson (1928) investigating “tulip root” in oats, found the parasite in the panicles of affected plants giving rise to abortive flowers. In a number of oat grains from distorted panicles he found small numbers of the parasite between the glumes and pales and between the pales and the kernel and was able to show that after storage for a few months the worms could be revived by soaking the grains in water. He did not pursue his studies to the extent of obtaining diseased seedlings from such infected seed. Cobb (1929) found samples of seed of red clover and lucerne, as cleaned by commercial processes, yielded the parasite in a living condition when soaked in water.

A functional buccal stylet is described in adult male and female Trichinella spiralis, and the mode of feeding of the adults is described from living specimens examined immediately on removal from the intestine. The stylet is rapidly protruded and retracted, probably for lacerating host tissue and releasing tissue fluids, and active peristaltic sucking movements of the pseudo-bulb of the oesophagus take place about once a second. The rectum shows peristaltic defaecatory movements once every two or three seconds. Intra-vitam staining with 0·01% neutral red shows an acid reaction of the stichocytes of the stichosome, which are of a granular or non-granular nature, with small tubules and alveoli in the cytoplasm.

The activity, infectivity and fat content of ageing infective larvae of Ancylostoma caninum were investigated at regular intervals.

The reduction in activity and fat content was found to occur at a similar rate.

Perusal of the first volume of “Nomenclator Zoologicus” shows, on p. 927, that the generic name Cylindrogaster was first proposed by Stål in 1855 for a Dermapteran insect. As a consequence of this it becomes necessary to put forward a new generic name in place of Cylindrogaster which the writer (Goodey, 1927) gave to a saprophagous nematode obtained from a culture of rat faeces.

A new species of amphistome cercaria from Planorbis exustus in Cachar District, Assam, is described.

Feeding experiments with the encysted cercariae to two calves and a pig proved negative.

It has been established that a concentration of ·001% of phenyl isothiocyanate is sufficient to kill the cysts of the potato strain of Heterodera schachtii when they are kept submersed in it for a period of three days or longer.

Eighteen species of nematodes were found to parasitise sheep in Western Australia.

Trichostrongylus rugatus and Trichostrongylus probolurus were found to be present in this State, and specimens of Ostertagia mentulata, a species new to Australian records, were found on two occasions.

On farms in the Border Counties of Scotland, the sheep enterprise represents the chief line of production in both upland and lowland districts. Stocks of breeding ewes are run on practically all low-ground farms in the area, and these mainly consist of half-bred ewes (Border Leicester × Cheviot) which are mated with Oxford or Suffolk rams. The larger farms carry, in addition, their own flocks of Cheviot ewes for the production of half-bred ewe lambs for stock purposes. The number of cattle maintained on the pastures is comparatively small, though it is well recognised by farmers that an increase in their numbers would be to the advantage of the sheep.

In a previous paper (1938) it was recorded that lemon-shaped cysts of the nematode Heterodera schachtii are frequently to be found in pasture soils. In many cases the soil has not, at least for a number of years, borne a crop such as oats or mangolds likely to have been infected with this nematode. The eelworm must therefore parasitize some plant or plants commonly to be found in pastures.