1. A new trematode Reesella doviensis n.g., n.sp., from the Oystercatcher, Haematopus ostralegus occidentalis, is described.

2.The validity of including P. progeneticum, P. marilae and P. varium in the genus Psilostomum is questioned and it is suggested that P. marilae be removed to the genus Psilotrema Odhner, 1913.

3.The placing of the genus Ribeiroia in the family Cathaemasiidae is also questioned, and it is suggested that it has closer affinities with the genera in the family Psilostomatidae.

Mirandula parva n.gen., n.sp., is described from the long-nosed bandicoot, Perameles nasuta Geoff., from Mt. Glorious, South Queensland. This is the first double-pored genus within the sub-family Dilepidinae Fuhrmann, 1907, of the family Dilepididae Fuhrmann, 1907.

Adult specimens or parts of specimens of Wuchereria were recovered from the lymphatic systems of a Kra monkey (Macaca irus) (1), domestic cats (4), a dog (1) and a Slow Loris (N. coucang), from areas of endemic human filariasis in Pahang, Malaya.

Morphological studies on this material revealed a new species, herein named W. pahangi, in the dog and in one cat; a species in the Kra monkey which is close to and probably identical with adults of W. malayi as described by Bonne el at. (1941) from man in Indonesia; but its relationships, and also those of the species from man in Indonesia, with the W. malayi described by Rao & Maplestone (1939) in India need further investigation. Three cats harboured a species which is close to that in the Kra monkey but its identity is sub judice until further material is available. Fragments only of a female worm, which included the tail, were recovered from the Slow Loris. It is thought that this material may be the new species W. pahangi.

1. The life-cycle of the fowl tapeworm Davainea proglottina and its various intermediate hosts are described briefly.

2. Studies on the different species of slugs in Great Britain under natural conditions were carried out and a short, simple method of differentiating the species has been presented.

3. A satisfactory method of keeping and breeding these slugs under laboratory conditions is described.

4. Feeding experiments of the different slugs on freshly collected gravid proglottides confirm that the intermediate hosts, as published by Grassi and Rovelli are as follows: Agriolimax agrestis, Limax cinereus, Limax flavus; by Wetzel, Arion empericorum (A. ater), Arion hortensis, Arion circumscriptus and Arion intermedius. In addition to these known intermediate hosts, the writer succeeded in infecting the following species: Agriolimax reticulatus, Agriolimax carvanae, Milax gracilis and Milax sowerbyi which may accordingly serve under natural conditions as intermediate hosts for D. proglottina.

5. The common field or grey slug (Agr. reticulatus) and the garden slug (Arion hortensis) seem to be the most important intermediate hosts for D. proglottina. in Great Britain. Slugs of nearly every age of these two species were experimentally exposed to infection with almost 100% positive results. Both these slugs are the most prevalent and widely distributed species in this country. This fact and the wet climatic conditions which obtain in this country are thus very favourable factors in the propagation of the tapeworm.

6. Slugs of different ages were experimentally infected and it was found that younger ones were more susceptible, but Agriolimax reticulatus of almost all ages became infected.

7. From the last experiment it may be concluded that slugs will feed on the droppings of fowl despite the presence of a sufficient normal diet, in this case clean lettuce.

The nematode Trichostrongylus longispicularis was described by Gordon (1933) from a single male recovered from a sheep in New South Wales. Gordon considered that the male of this species could be readily distinguished from the males of other species of the genus recorded from ruminants by an asymmetrical dorsal ray of the bursa and by the length and form of the spicules. The dorsal ray is described as being bifid, one bifurcation being simple and the other possessing secondary branches, one situated internally and the other externally. The slender spicules were 184·6 microns long, and terminated in fine sickle-shaped structures.

Andrews (1934 and 1935) recorded the species from cattle in the United States. In his first description (Andrews, 1934) he noted that his specimens agreed very closely with the description published by Gordon (1933), but he referred to hook-like projections on the spicules. However, he failed to find these projections in the specimen discussed in his record of 1935. As he made no reference to the dorsal ray of the bursa, it is presumed that this agreed with the description and figure published by Gordon (1933). T. longispicularis was subsequently reported by Roberts (1938 and 1939) from cattle in Queensland, but no comments were made on its morphology.

The sub-family Lytocestinae was created by Hunter (1927) to accommodate five genera—Lytocestus Cohn, 1908 (type genus), Balanotaenia Johnston, 1924, Monobothrioides Fuhrmann and Baer, 1925, Djombangie Bovien, 1926, and Lytocestoides Baylis, 1928. He based the characteristics of the sub-family on the broad characters of the type genus, e.g. “Sub-family Lytocestinae Hunter, 1927. Sub-family diagnosis: Caryophyllaeidae with sexual apertures and ovary situated in the last quarter of the body length. The inner longitudinal muscles lie entirely internal to the vitellaria which are annularly arranged about the muscles in the cortical parenchyma. Uterine glands are present. Type genus Lytocestus Cohn, 1908.” All the foregoing characteristics are present in Lytocestus. Sub-sequently, two more genera, Khawia Hsu, 1935, and Stocksia Woodland, 1937 have been added, making a total of seven genera.

According to Woodland (1926) the genus Lytocestus includes the following species: L. adhaerens Cohn, 1908 (type species), L. filiformis (Woodland, 1923), L. chalmersius (Woodland, 1924), L. cunningtoni (Fuhrmann and Baer, 1925), L. indicus (Moghe, 1925), and Balanotaenia bancrofti Johnston, 1924.

The development of the microfilariae of Litomosoides carinii from the ova, has been studied by phase-contrast microscopy, and recorded with photomicrographs. All stages in the development were obtained by puncturing the uteri of adult female worms at intervals along their lengths, transferring the larvae which emerged onto agar coated slides and allowing the weight of a coverglass to flatten them sufficiently for detailed examination.

The head and the tail end of the larva were differentiated at a fairly early stage and about the same time a hook-like structure appeared on the head. Subsequently a body cavity was formed within the larva which was associated with the appearance of highly refractile subcuticular cells. Later this cavity became filled with different types of cells.

Throughout its development the larva was enclosed within a membrane which was later stretched by the movement of the larva to form the sheath of the microfilaria. All the microfilariae from the adult female worms, from the pleural fluid, and from the peripheral blood of the large number of infected cotton rats examined, were seen by phase-contrast microscopy to have sheaths.

Two species of nematodes were recovered from the Meller's chamaeleon from Nyasaland, which died at the London Zoo. They comprised ten females and eight males of Foleyella candezi from the axilla and peritoneal cavity, and two adult females of Abbreviata sp. from the gut. Specific determination was not possible for the latter species, owing to the paucity of the material.

The females are thread-like and very slightly flattened dorso-ventrally. They have an average length of 94.8 mm. and range from 73 to 124 mm. The width is more or less uniform, average 0.5 mm. but becomes narrow at 1 mm. from the tip of the tail. The anterior end is bluntly rounded and in some specimens has a slightly bulbous appearance when observed from the lateral aspect. This is due to a slight narrowing at the junction of the oesophagus and intestine.

The tail is more attenuated than the anterior end and it is slightly curved ventrad and marked by a shallow groove running ventrally from the anus to the tip where it is flanked by two minute papillae-like structures.

The shallow stoma is somewhat oval in shape and surrounded by ten minute papillae, six of which form an inner circle and four an outer circle. The mid-dorsal and mid-ventral papillae of the inner circle are more conspicuous than the others.

Two species of Kalicephalus are reported from snakes. K. indicus is found to be very common in the snake, Pytas mucosus in Canton, and K. hongkongensis sp.nov. is reported for Elaphe moellendorffi.

In a large number of species of Kalicephalus examined, a telamon was always found to be present.

The genus Occipitodontus is recognised as a valid one.

Kalicephalus minutus is made the genotype of a new genus Kalicephaloides on the basis of the unequal spicules and one of the terminal branches of the dorsal ray having its origin at the base of the dorsal ray.

A collection of helminths from a King-Cobra, Naja hannah from Malaya is described. It consists of one species of trematode from the ureter, Styphlodora perstmilts; two species of cestodes in the intestine, namely Bothridium pithonis and Ophiotaenia kuantanensis n.sp., and three species of nematodes, Tanqua gigantica and Occipitodontus fimbriatus from the stomach, and O. edesoni n.sp. from the small intestine. With the exception of Tanqua gigantica all the above named species are new records for the King-Cobra.

C. pygocytophora emerges from P. carinatus predominantly in the dark, independently of the time of day, and in the absence of temperature variation.

C. Pygocytophora shows strong negative phototaxis.

1. A new species, Stellocaronema buckleyi, is described from the Indian Red-wattled Lapwing (Lobivanellus indicus indicus) from Sheikhupura district of the Punjab province of Pakistan.

2. The following species are recorded from new hosts and for the first time from Pakistan: Hadjelia truncata and Dispharynx spiralis from the Indian Magpie (Pica pica); Acuaria anthuris from the Rosy Pastor (Pastor roseus); Acuaria brevispicula and Diplotriaena nochti from the Indian Mynah (Acridotheres ginginianus).

3.It is contended that Diplotriaena tricuspis of Canavan (1931) and Mazhar (1933) are identical with Diplotriaena nochti, and that Diplotriaena acridotheres (Karve, 1934) and Diplotriaena nagpurensis (Karve, 1934) should also be treated as synonyms of D. nochti

4.Acuaria brevispicula Maplestone, 1932 has been redescribed and certain discrepancies in Maplestone's description, due to insufficient material, have been made good. It is contended that A. kungi Singh, 1948 should fall as a synonym to A. brevispicula.

An account is given of the general morphology of Echinopardalis lerouxi n.sp., from the intestine of Canis adustus, in Northern Rhodesia. This new acanthocephalan agrees with the characters of the genus Echinopardalis, and differs from all the other known species included in this genus. The characteristic features of the species are enumerated.

A new echinostome fluke Pameileenia gambiensis gen. et sp. nov. is described from a water snake Grayia tholloni from Gambia. A note on the distribution of the host is included since this is the first record of it from the Senegambia region.

Neostrigea africana gen.et sp.nov., Neostrigea leiperi gen.et sp.nov. and Prostrigea arcuata gen.et sp.nov. are described from the intestine of Crocodilus niloticus, Kafue River, Northern Rhodesia. The three species are included in two new genera which are placed in a new family Neostrigeidae.

An infection of the frog bladder by the Monogenetic Trematode Polystoma integerrimum can be detected by testing the urine for the presence of the pigment haematin. This substance is an end product of the digestion of blood, which the parasite sucks from the capillaries of the bladder wall, and it is voided from the flatworm's gut into the bladder to pass eventually to the exterior with the urine (Jennings—unpublished work).

An alkaline solution of luminol (3-amino pthallic cyclic hydrazide hydrochloride) and hydrogen peroxide exhibits an intense blue luminescence in the presence of haematin (Proescher & Moody, 1938) and this reaction, which is very sensitive, can be used to detect the pigment in the urine of infected frogs.

Three new species of the genus Neodiplostomum Railliet, 1919 (Subgenus Neodiplostomum, Dubois, 1937) are described from avian hosts in Central Africa. They are N. (N.) berghaani from Terathopius ecaudata, N. (N.) prudhoei from Cuncuma vocifer vocifer and N. (N.) pseudogypsis from Pseudogyps africanus.

A note is added on Neodiplostomum canaliculatum (Nicoll, 1914) Dubois, 1937.

Up to the present time no taeniacidal agent has been established on the basis of adequate evidence as satisfactory for the removal of tapeworms, especially Davainea proglottina, from poultry. Tapeworms are generally regarded as responsible for considerable damage to the poultry industry. The principal remedies that have been recommended are areca nut, turpentine, oil of chenopodium, extract of male fern, Kamala, pomegranate root bark, arecolin hydrobromide and thymol.