1. Evidence is given which confirms the hypothesis of Peters (1941) that nematode eggsin McMaster slides are distributed according to the Poisson series.

2. No significant variation in egg counts due to the time of sampling was found in any of four sheep observed over a period of ten days.

3. A significant negative correlation of egg concentration with faeces output was found in three of the sheep (in the fourth it was negative but not significant).

4. The variation from day to day was relatively much less marked when the counts were expressed as total daily output than when expressed simply as eggs per gram.

5. No significant correlation was found between egg concentration and the dry matter proportion of the faeces.

6. A table derived from the Poisson formula is given to aid in the determination of the range of populations from which an egg count might reasonably have been drawn.

Early literature on Red Ring disease of coconuts, caused by the nematode Rhadinaphelenchus cocophilus (Cobb, 1919) Goodey, 19C0, has been reviewed by the writer (Fenwick 1957). Little information is available however on the techniques used, and investigation has shown that the extraction of these nematodes from different types of coconut tissue presents problems which are not dealt with in Goodey's (1957) review of nematological technique. It is felt that the techniques developed by the writer for this worm might be of interest to other workers who are concerned with the extraction of very slender active nematodes from hard plant tissues.

One hundred and six trees suffering from Red Ring disease were examined and the distribution of worms plotted. The results indicate that infection can start in either the root system or in the upper part of the tree. The distribution of worms in 21 of the trees examined was consistent with the disease starting in the base of the tree; and 5 trees exhibited conditions consistent with infection starting in the upper part of the tree. Of thirteen trees, more than 20 years old, one was found to be infected in the top only; the other carried an infection in the roots and lower stem. It is concluded that the disease can start in either the top of a tree or in the root system but for reasons given in the text, it is not possible to say which is the more frequent.

In another publication (Fenwick, 19G3) data are presented on the distribution of infection in coconut trees infected with the nematode Rhadinaphelenchus cocophilus (Cobb, 1919) Goodey, I960. The data favour the hypothesis that the disease can start either in the root system and proceed by upward extension to the stem and thence to the petioles, or alternatively in the upper parts of the tree and proceed by downward extension through the stem to the roots, but this conclusion is arrived at by inference from the condition of trees at one given time. There is no information available on the condition of the trees at any previous time nor on what would have been their condition if allowed to stand. The writers therefore decided to make observations on a number of infected trees at weekly intervals in order to learn more about the course of the disease. To this end, trees were selected in which it was considered that the disease was in an early stage and observe its spread to other parts of the tree.

While investigating Red Ring Disease of coconuts, the authors detected Rhadinaphelenchus cocophilus (Cobb, 1919) Goodey, 1960 in the root systems of three otherwise healthy coconut trees. One of these was about seven years old; the roots and the stem were sampled five times weekly but no stem or petiole infection was detected. A similar state of affairs was detected in the second tree. In neither case over a period of several weeks was there evidence of upward movement of the worm into the stem. The third tree was more interesting: the first sampling disclosed the presence of the nematodes in only one sample of roots out of four taken equidistantly around the stem; subsequent examination showed that the infection spread through the root system in the neighbourhood of the base of the tree until at the end of one month, worms were recovered from all parts of the proximal root system and the population had increased to 100–150 worms per gm. of root: many of these were sexually mature; after a further two weeks, there was still no upward movement into the stem.

Protogynous cestodes are mostly parasites of charadriiform birds and have been reported from different regions of the world. In India Progynotaenia odhneri Nybelin, 1914 has been reported by two authors (Singh, 1952 and Singh, 1959) in the form of two separate and new species (see Discussion). The present communication is based upon a study of about two dozen specimens from an unidentified host shot in the vicinity of Bareilly, U.P. The present material, which was found to represent a new species of Progynotaenia Fuhrmann, 1909, possesses a remarkable feature in the disposition of the rostellar armature which is quite unlike that in any protogynous form so far described.

Experiments involving cattle, horses, pigs and fowls are presented which are considered to give evidence that thiabendazole is highly active against the Strongyle parasites but not so active against the ascarid parasites of the digestive tract of these animals. The strongyles of cattle can be controlled with a dose of 75–100 mg./kg. and those of horses with as little as 25 mg./kg. In pigs 100 mg./kg. was very active against Oesophagostomum dentatum but this dose level was of poor efficiency against Ascaris lumbricoides. A high dose of 500 mg./kg. appeared to be necessary to control Ascaridia galli in the fowl.

The results of the examination for helminth parasites of 146 Larus ridibundus, ten L. argentalus and eight L. fuscus are presented. Thirty-six parasite species were found, 27 from L. ridibundus, 21 from L. argentatus and 19 from L. fuscus. The trematodes Apophallus muhlingi, Aporchis massiliensis, Brachylecithum microtesticulatum, Knipowitschetrema echinatum, and Philophthalmus lucipetus are described. A list of British records of helminth parasites from L. ridibundus, L. argentatus and L. fuscus is appended.

1. Characters of taxonomic value in the family Philometridae are discussed; the important structures taken into account are the cuticle, cephalic papillae, oesophagus and the tail of the parasite.

2. Two new species of Philometra are described and Ph. lateolabracis Yamguti, 1935 is redescribed from new fishes of the Arabian Sea.

3. Two new subgenera have been made under the genus Philometra and named as Ranjhinema and Alinetna.

4. Philomeiroides piedropliies (Johnston and Mawson, 1940) and Ph. anguillac (Ishii, 1916) are redescribed.

5. Buckleyella and Thwaitia are described as new genera, the diagnosis being based on the structure of the cuticle, cephalic papillae and the tail.

6. A key to the genera of Philometridae is provided with the diagnosis of each genus and subgenus. Some of the species formerly described under Philometra are provisionally transferred to other genera of this family.

Sixteen specimens of a small trematode, belonging to the genus Leipertrema Sandosham, 1951, were collected from the intestine of a male Callosciurns notatus. This squirrel was caught at Subang, Selangor, Federation of Malaya,. on 17th December. 1960. The specimens differ from the only other member of the genus, Leipertrema rewelli Sandosham, 1951 from the pancreas of one Orang Utan, Pongo pygmaeus, (type specimens examined) and require description.

1. A new species, Anthobothrium taeniuri n.sp., has been described from the spiral intestine of the sting ray, Taeniura lymma from the Red Sea and compared with related species.

2. The two genera Rhodobothrium Linton, 1889 and Inermipyllidium Riser, 1955 are considered to be synonyms of Anthobothrium van. Beneden, 1850.

Three species of nematodes were collected from some Malayan frogs and toads. Two of these are bursate nematodes, one of which belongs to a new genus for which the name Batrachostrongylus gen. nov. is proposed. The genus Batrachostrongylus has structural features of both the families Strongylidae and Trichostrongylidae. The other bursate nematode, namely Oswaldocruzia hoepplii Hsu is widely distributed in the Far East and this is the first record from the Malaysian region. This species shows considerable variation throughout its range. Another new species, Abbreviata bufonis sp. nov. is from Bufo asper Boulenger. Although the larval form of Abbreviata ranae (Walton), the only representative of the genus in Amphibia has been recorded from U.S.A., this is the first record of an adult Abbreviata parasitic in Amphibia.