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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Antigens were prepared by low temperature methods to preserve “functional” antigen. These antigens showed marked cross reactivity and were satisfactory in complement fixation tests.

The passive haemagglutination test using “functional” antigen gave titres which were higher than those obtained with the complement fixation test. High antibody titres were observed in sheep naturally infested with nematodes and a relationship between antibody titre and egg count was demonstrated.

During November 1953 some specimens of henbane plants, Hyoscyamus niger, were received from Long Melford, Suffolk. On examination these plants were found to be infested with Ditylenchus dipsaci. According to the farmer, henbane is a difficult crop to grow on the farm and it is possible that D. dipsaci may have been the cause of previous trouble, although another pest, the henbane flea beetle, Psylliodes hyoscyami L., is also prevalent in the area. Henbane is a biennial and is cultivated for medicinal use. Three acres on this field were ploughed up in 1053 because of failure due to eelworm damage.

In early May 1954 some annual aster plants (Callistephus chinensis) being grown in sterilized compost in seed boxes were received from a nursery at Mildenhall, Suffolk. Many of these plants were severely stunted and malformed, and some were completely dead. At first sight it looked as if the centres of these plants had been eaten out, but subsequent examination revealed a heavy infestation of chrysanthemum eelworm (Aphelenchoides ritzema-bosi), living ectoparasitically among the young leaves. Bunches of nematodes were easily visible in the leaf axils under the low power of a binocular microscope, or even under a good hand lens.

Amongst thousands of specimens of Paramphistomum microbothrium Fischoeder, Cotylophoron cotylophorum (Fischoeder), Carmyerius exoporus Maplestone, and Carmyerius mancupatus (Fischoeder) 645 specimens of Ceylonocotyle scoliocoelium (Fisqhoeder) were found in the rumen of one Zebu steer and in lesser numbers in the rumens of two other Zebu cattle slaughtered at the abattoir at Nakuru, Kenya.

There is a winter dormancy in the hatchability of some species of Heterodera. The dormancy varies in degrees with eelworm species, being slight in the case of beet eelworm and more pronounced in the case of potato-root eelworm and some other species. It is not wholly dependent on immediate environmental conditions but possibly is induced by previous conditions. The dormancy can be shortened by storing infested soil at certain temperatures, but the cessation of dormancy in spring is not necessarily associated with rise in soil temperature.

The essential features of the method, which is described in detail, are a sieving technique to collect quantitatively the Fasciola hepatica eggs of a sample of cattle faeces, a new technique for transferring quantitatively the eggs to a measured amount of water, and a new technique for obtaining even distribution of the eggs within a counting chamber. Technical details for manufacturing the apparatus and the counting slide, designed to perform the different stages of the method, are given. The correctness of the resulting counts is demonstrated.

Gravid proglottides of Raillietina (R.) celebensis (Janicki) are reported from a child in Brisbane, Queensland. Complete tapeworms of the same species are reported from Rattus assimilis Gould, from Mt. Glorious, South Queensland. A critical survey is made of all the cases previously recorded from man. Raillietina (R.) madagascariensis is for the present, regarded as a species sub judice. Raillietina (R.) demerariensis var. trinitatae Cameron & Reesal, 1951 has been raised to specific rank and named R. (R.) trinitatae (Cameron & Reesal, 1951) nov.comb. The synonyms of R. (R.) celebensis; R. (R.) demarariensis; R. (R.) alouattae and R. (R.) trinitatae, are discussed.