In South Africa, a filarioid infestation has been associated with lesions in the skin of the black rhinoceros (Schulz and Kluge, 1960). Similar lesions had been reported earlier from Kenya, as consistently occurring in these animals but their aetiology was unknown (Spinage, 1960). Recently the opportunity occurred to examine lesion material from four black rhinoceros located in the Royal Tsavo National Park Kenya. From this material adult helminths were recovered and identified (Round, 1964), and further pathological studies made. In addition, one rhinoceros showed evidence of an otitis.

The genus Cruzia was proposed by Travassos, 1917 for Ascaris tentaculata Rudolphi, 1819, from Didelphys spp. In the same year, he also erected a new family Cruziidae for the reception of this genus. In 1926, another species C. mexicana Khalil, 1926, was added to this genus, from an undetermined species of lizard. Khalil did not recognise the family Cruziidae, or even the subfamily Cruziinae, proposed by Ortlepp, 1924. Baylis and Daubney, 1926, placed the genus Cruzia in the family Kathlaniidae. Canavan, 1929, recorded some specimens from Didelphys marsupialis virginiana which were named Cruzia americana by Maplestone, 1931. This was later synonymised with the type species C. tentaculata by Wolfgang, 1951. In 1931 the following species were added: C. orientalis Maplestone, from domestic pig from India; C. fulleborni Khalil and Vogelsang, from Tupinambis teguixin. The latter authors also described C. mazza from Tato novecindus and C. travassosi from Tolypeutes conurus in 1932. In the same year, Sprehn recorded C. boliviana from Tolypeutes conurus and C. testudinis was described by Hanvood from Terrapene carolina trianguis. Pearse, 1936, described C. morleyi from Bufo marinus. Ruiz, 1947, revised the genus Cruzia and described a new species C. rudolphii from Erythrolamprus aesculapii and more recently, Wolfgang, 1951, added C. cameroni to it, from Didelphys marsupialis.

The genus Pharyngostrongylus was proposed by Yorke and Maplestone, 1926, for some strongyle nematodes from Macropus sp., which they named P. macropodis. Later in the same year, Mönnig described another new strongyle nematode Spirostrongylus australis from Macropus rufus, erecting a new genus for it. The generic name of Mönnig's species was changed to Rugopharynx Mönnig, 1927, the first being pre-occupied (Spirostrongylus Yorke and Maplestone, 1926). In 1929, Wood gave a description of some specimens collected from Macropus woodwardi which were identified as Rugopharynx australis Mönnig. Wood also pointed out that “the presence of a buccal capsule, a corona radiata, and a fairly large and differentiated dorsal lobe to the bursa copulatrix seem to exclude it from the Trichostrongylidae where Mönnig has placed it and he considers that it belongs to Trichoneminae.” Furthermore, he transferred that species to the genus Pharyngostrongylus on the basis of “the arrangement of its buccal capsule and its markedly ringed pharynx” considering Rugopharynx a synonym of Pharyngostrongylus.

1. Examination of 289 fowl showed that 69·2% were infected with intestinal helminths. The following 6 species were identified: Ascaridia galli (33·6%), Capillaria anatis (10·4%), C. caudinflata (15·9%), C. obsignata (45·3%), Davainea proglottina (0·7%) and Heterakis gallinarum (60·9%).

2. No parasites were found in the upper intestines of 151 fowl.

3. The results are compared with those of previous surveys and are discussed in relation to the age and management of the birds.