Larvae of Syngamus trachea pass from the intestine to the lungs of the definitive host via the blood stream. They have been recovered from blood taken from the auricles of the heart and from the posterior vena cava.

The condition of the lungs heavily infected with larvae is described.

A condition of ‘Syngamus pneumonia’ occurs in the wild state among poults of partridges and pheasants.

Until comparatively recently, the greater part of research work in helminthology progressed along three main lines, investigation into the life histories of parasitic helminths, the study of their morphology as well as an empirical investigation into the efficiency or otherwise of different substances as anthelmintics. Research into the physiology of these animals was only rarely attempted and even then was only very casual and never by any means thorough. In recent years, however, there has been a gradual change over, and increased attention has been paid to their physiology, both from a purely scientific and also an applied standpoint. Early work on anthelmintics was concerned only with the discovery of substances which would expel the worms from their hosts and could be used empirically. This attitude has of recent years, given place to a more scientific approach in which investigations into physiological processes have been undertaken in the hope that knowledge gained might show some method of rendering the worms more susceptible to anthelmintics, or alternatively, indicate new anthelmintics more lethal to them and less harmful to the hosts.

In a previous paper published in 1937 Carroll & McMahon discussed the possibility of effecting control of potato root eelworm (Heterodera schachtii) by means of trap cropping with potatoes. During the past two seasons further experiments, designed with the same object in view, have been carried out. The additional information obtained from these experiments and from the experience of the past two years is presented in the present paper.

In view of the spread of potato eelworm (Heterodera schachtii) in England and Scotland in recent years, it was decided in 1935 to examine farm soils in Jersey to ascertain if these were free from the pest. In three seasons, 1935 to 1937, 180 soils, the majority from fields which had grown potatoes for 10 or more consecutive years, were tested and all of them proved to be free from potato eelworm. These results, together with observations of numerous growing crops, indicated that the Island was substantially, if not entirely, free from the pest.

The effect of calcium and ammonium chloroacetates in increasing the yield of potatoes grown in Ayrshire fields infected with Heterodera schachtii is demonstrated.

From the examination of roots of treated and untreated plants it is believed that this increase in yield is due to a reduction in the eelworm infection, and from hatching experiments this reduction is thought to be the result of the action of calcium chloroacetate in retarding and reducing the hatching of larvae from the cysts.

A brief summary of abnormalities among Cestodes is given.

A new record of melanism in T. pisiformis is made. The pigment was deposited in the vas deferens and cirrus sac in every segment.

18 specimens of tri-radiate and 3 specimens of quadri-radiate T. pisiformis are described from dogs.

A single case of tri-radiate D. caninum is reported.

A bibliography containing records of cestode abnormalities is appended.

The first report of a species of Strongyloides parasitic in cats appears to be that by Chandler (1925 and 1925a). Sandground (1925b) found that cats could be infected with Strongyloides stercoralis from the dog but infections were light and were retained for short periods only. Later (1928) he found that cats had a slightly greater susceptibility to the human strain of S. stercoralis than dogs.

The importance of arresting the spread of the potato-strain of Heterodera schachtii, which is largely responsible for the serious disease known as “potato sickness,” has frequently been emphasised. The cysts of this nematode, as is well known, can withstand long periods of drought, and can therefore be carried about in a viable condition on any object to which small lumps of soil may become attached. In this way the eelworms may be spread, not only from one field to the next by means of farm implements, but also from one locality to another many miles away in soil adhering to seed potato tubers. Seed potatoes grown on eelworm-infected land, however free from disease in other respects, are therefore highly undesirable for planting on clean land, unless some treatment can be carried out which will kill adhering cysts. It was with the object of discovering some practical means of treating seed potatoes so that, without injury to the tubers, adhering eelworm cysts would be killed, that the experiments recorded here were undertaken.

In a recent paper (Morgan & Wilson, 1938) the authors gave an account of a general survey of helminths in poultry in Scotland and pointed out that Heterakis gallinae was by far the most common species occurring in this host and that 82·3% of the birds examined were infected. Not only was the incidence high, but heavy infestations amounting to hundreds of worms were frequently found in these birds which had picked up the worms under natural conditions.

Continuing the work on which a paper was published by the writer in the Journal of Helminthology, April, 1937, it was decided to concentrate on calcium chloro-acetate in the 1938 field experiments on soil treatment for the control of the potato sickness associated with Heterodera schachtii.

Tests were made at five different centres in the counties of Glamorgan and Monmouth with amounts equivalent to 3 cwt. and 5 cwt. to the acre.