An account is given of the results of preliminary studies of the worm-burden of goats and sheep in Ghana, West Africa, based on fortnightly counts of nematode eggs in their faeces over a period of three years, 1954 to 1956, inclusive. Only eggs of nematodesand Moniezia expansa were encountered apart from an occasional egg of Schistosoma sp., probably S. bovis, in two sheep. Four centres were involved in these investigations differing appreciably in regard to the amount and distribution of the rainfall. It would seem from the results obtained that:—

There are in the drier regions two distinct periods in the year when worm-egg production in goats and sheep reaches a high level compared with that at other times of the year, a high peak of production in June, sometimes a month either earlier or later, and a slight peak in November or December.

There are seasonal variations in the forest belt regions but here the peaks of egg-production are less evident and more irregular in respect to the time of their occurrences in different years.

This worm was very abundant in the rectum of a tortoise, Homopus femoralis, from the Bloemfontein area, Orange Free State, South Africa. It was found together with several other oxyurids the description of which will form the subject of a later paper. Although the Probstmayria far exceeded the other oxyurids in number, male specimens of this genus were extremely rare for only one male was found after a prolonged search during the course of which many hundreds of females were encountered. In order that no specimens should be lost the entire alimentary canal together with its contents was submerged in hot 70% alcohol after scraping the mucosa.

Promising results in the colorimetric assay of potato-root eelworm hatching factor have been obtained with picric acid and with 3: 5- dinitrobenzoic acid. Both of the reagents are used for the assay of cardiac glycosides with which the hatching factor may have affinities.

A new genus and species of filarioid worm is described from the peritoneal cavity of fruit bats, Pteropus hawaiiensis from Fiji and the name Chiropterofilaria brevicaudata n. sp. is given to it. The microfilaria is described. This appears to be the first record of a nematode from this host. The new genus is differentiated from its nearest genus Lemdana in that the spicules are only slightly unequal; and in the female worms, the oesophagus usually make several turns around the vagina before joining the intestine. From the same host, a second microfilaria, Microfilaria fijiensis n. sp. is described, the adults of which were not found.

The present communication deals with an account of a new species of Euparadistomum based on material collected on two occasions from the gall bladder of the fox, Vulpex alopex. In all, nine specimens were available for study.

The flukes are flattened and pyriform with broadly rounded anterior and posterior ends. The body measures 4·3–5·9 mm. in length with a maximum width of 2·3–3·8 mm. attained at about the equatorial level of the body.

In December, 1957, Dr. Zaheer Ahmad, Veterinary-Assistant Surgeon, Baswada, handed over to the writer for specific determination a few specimens of Stephanofilaria which had been collected by him from ear-sores of buffaloes in Baswada (Nizamabad). Since on examination the material was found to consist only of females, it was not possible to identify the species. On consultation of relevant literature, however, it was noted that ear-sore infection associated with Stephanofilaria had been recorded by Gopalkrishnan in 1949 in Assam and later referred to by Menon (1952) in connexion with the treatment of “Contagious Ottorrhoea“ in buffaloes in Travancore.

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.

During a visit to Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh (India) in April, 1956, the writer examined thirty specimens of the frog Rana cyanophlyctis and found that every one of them was heavily infected with an interesting nematode in the rectum. Large numbers of males and females of this parasite were collected and fixed in 5% formalin containing 10% glycerine. Specimens thus fixed and preserved could easily be dissected for preparing mounts of reproductive organs for detailed study. Before being dissected the preserved worms were at first washed in tapwater and then placed in 70% glycerine alcohol which was allowed to evaporate until the worms were in almost pure glycerine.