In order to investigate the experimental transfer of Paragonimus westermani from rodents to rodents following subcutaneous and intraperitoneal routes, 13 rats and 23 mice were inoculated with a total of 115 (1 mature and 114 immature) worms of P. westermani subcutaneously and intraperitoneally. The age of worms before transfer was 25–193 days. The transfer was performed immediately after worm collection from rodents which were killed at various intervals from 4 to 144 days after infection. The location, development and size of worms were recorded. An infection rate of 58% (or 21/36) was demonstrated in rodents after experimental transfer of P. westermani by intraperitoneal and subcutaneous routes. Twenty-seven worms were recovered, giving a worm recovery rate of 23.5%. The rate was significantly higher by the subcutaneous route (34.8%) than by the intraperitoneal route (20.7%) but no difference was found between mice (23.9%) and rats (23.0%). The sizes of worms in the abdominal cavity, pleural cavity and thoracic muscles of mice, and in the leg muscles of rats were much less than in the pleural cavity and lung cysts of rats. A mature worm (7×5 mm) and numerous eggs were found in the uterus and pleural cavity of one rat. It is evidence that these rodents are unfavourable definitive hosts of P. westermani, because the worm size, infectivity, maturation and egg production are usually very low. However, the worms are usually widely distributed in their rodent hosts and remain small in size for a long period. Therefore, these rodents are good paratenic hosts for P. westermani and can play an important role in infecting cats and dogs with P. westermani in the laboratory.

On the 17th September, 1964, a Mute Swan, Cygnus olor (Gmelin) was received for examination. It was a male bird, estimated to be about three years old, which had been found at Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, and had been killed on account of a broken wing which had healed badly. It was believed to be of wild stock.

Oxysomatiinae: Sexual dimorphism not marked; mouth with three lips; body delicate; pharynx short and muscular; females with ovaries much reduced, uteri divergent, amphidelph, contain a reduced number of eggs arranged in moniliform manner and towards the centre eggs with well developed larvae or even free larvae may be present; vulva behind middle of body; males with subequal or equal spicules of moderate size; accessory piece present. Parasites of amphibians and reptiles. Type species: R. simples (Travassos, 1925) Travassos, 1927.

A total of 21 amino acids were detected in the present investigations on three species of Gangesia (Cestoda: Proteocephalata) viz. G. bengalensis Woodland, 1924, G. hanumanthai Seth & Capoor, 1982 and G. sanehensis Malhotra et al., 1981. The study was conducted in a sub-humid region around Allahabad, India. The implications of amino acid utilization in metabolic activities of fish tapeworms have been discussed.

The initial pathway of skin penetrating larvae of Strongyloides ratti inside the host is not systemic and could well involve local components of the lymphatic system. The experiments described were an attempt to detect an effect on immunity depending on whether larvae of a challenge infection were committed to a pathway through heavily primed or lightly primed lymph nodes. Female rats were immunised by subcutaneous injection into the right forearm of 1000 heat killed, or 1000 live, third stage larvae of S. ratti. Animals given living parasites were placed on a diet containing 0·1 or 0·2% thiabendazole 48h or 36h after ifection. Challenge infections of <100 larvae (‘exact’ doses) were applied on day 21 to either the right or left flank and, similarly, to controls that had received the anthelmintic but not the priming infection. Heat killed parasites elicited no response at all. Priming with live larvae stimulated a significant immunity (16% and 37% depression in 2 experiments), but there was no difference between rats whose challenge was on the same side as the priming dose and those which had the contralateral treatment. The significance of these results to theories of pathfinding in general, and to practical immunology, is discussed.

During the tour in Kashmir, two males and four females of the species to be described were collected from the vicinity of the heart and the body cavity of the white cheeked Bulbul, Molpastes leucogenys leucogenys.

These are rather slender worms with attenuated anterior ends. The posterior ends are twisted into 2–3 coils. The cuticle is thin, smooth, nonstriated, but richly furnished with bosses throughout the length of the body.

The specimens described herein were collected by one of us (M.A.R.) from the stomach of Rana esculenta in Al-Basrah, Iraq. After fixation in 70% alcohol and staining in Gower's carmine, they were found to be a hitherto undescribed species of the genus Halipegus Looss, 1899 which is named here as Halipegus alhaussaini n.sp. in the honour of the late Professor A. H. Al Haussaini; Formerly Head, Department of Zoology, University of Ain Shams, U.A.R. for his distinguished contributions to the study of zoology in Egypt.

1. An Athesmia sp. from two species of jackals (Canis adustus Sundervall, 1846, and Canis mesomelas Schreber, 1775) in northern Tanzania is described.

2. While considerable variation in size and internal morphology was observed, these differences do not appear to be significant.

3. There being no constant morphological features to establish a new species, these specimens are for the present considered to be A.foxi Goldberger and Crane, 1911.

4. The difficulties in the identification of Athesmia are discussed and the present position in the genus briefly reviewed.

5. Histopathological studies were carried out with negative results and reference is made to other reports of such studies in the literature.

Only three of the four species assigned to the genus Cooperioides are considered valid and are redescribed. The fourth species Cooperioides kenyensis Daubney, 1933 is considered a synonym of Cooperioides hamiltoni (Mönnig, 1932) Mönnig, 1933. A key to the species of the genus is given and their hosts and geographical localities are listed.

Thirty-eight spotted ground squirrels, Spermophilus spilosoma were examined for endoparasites, and 31 of them were infected with one or more species. Helminths found were Hymenolepis citelli, Citellina triradiata, Physaloptera massino, and Trichuris sp. The protozoan Eimeria larimerensis was also found. Citellina triradiata is redescribed. This is the first report of any helminths from this squirrel.

Uptake and serosal transfer of the vitamins thiamine, riboflavin and folic acid have been studied in vivo in normal and parasitized rats infected with Hymenolepis diminuta (Cestoda).

Regional differences in intestinal uptake of all three vitamins in both uninfected and parasitized animals were not statistically significant.

In the parasitized intestine mucosal uptake and serosal transfer of thiamine were significantly inhibited, with increased mucosal accumulation of the vitamin as luminal thiamine concentration increased.

Apparent increased riboflavin mucosal uptake in parasitized animals, was not matched by the reduced serosal transfer, suggesting adsorption of the vitamin in the unstirred aqueous layers.

Mucosal uptake of folic acid increased in the parasitized gut; serosal transfer and mucosal accumulation were not affected.

These results, indicating vitamin malabsorption associated with infection by H. diminuta, are consistent with the parasite inhibiting mucosal passive transport mechanisms. This conclusion is supported by the changes in net water fluxes associated with vitamin uptake in the parasitized intestine.

The humoral response of guinea pigs infected with doses of 500, 1000, and 1500 infective Toxocara canis ova were measured by counterimmunoelectrophoresis and indirect haemmagglutination tests one to five weeks after infection. The antigens used in these measurements were prepared from adult T. canis. Counterimmunoelectrophoresis showed lower titres than haemagglutination method, but it was performed rapidly and with case. The possible use of these techniques for immunodiagnosis of human visceral larval migrans is discussed.

The resistance to infection by Ostertagia spp. of three groups of lactating ewes was compared with an unbred control group. Group 1 was fed a full diet of hay and a concentrate ration ad lib. Groups 2 and 3 were fed the same quantitatively inadequate diet and in addition group 3 received daily injections of thyroxine sodium. All the animals were infected regularly with Ostertagia larvae and killed 6 weeks after lambing.

While the unbred sheep were highly resistant, all three groups of lactating ewes carried significant numbers of worms. Group 2 and 3 had significantly more than group 1, the additional worms being present as adults. The effect of hyperthyroidism in group 3 was not significant.

It is concluded that the immuno-suppressant effect of lactation is probably not due to protein depletion although the latter may be an important secondary factor.

Stunkardia minuta sp. n. was recovered from the small intestine and rectum of 5 box-tortoises (Cuora amboinensis) in Malaysia. The average body size (L × W) is 11·42 × 2·35 mm; oral sucker 1·51 × 1.02; oral pouches 0·21 × 0·18; ventral sucker 1·67 × 1·43; oesophageal bulb 0·54 × 0·54; ant. testis 0·95 × 0·98; post. testis 0·94 × 0.94; seminal vesicle 0·82 × 0·24; ootype 0·21 × 0·41; ovary 0·41 × 0·34; and egg 121 × 83 μm. Although morphologically similar to S. dilymphosa, S. minuta is distinct from any other reported member of the Paramphistomidae.

Early in June, 1933, the writer received two vials of caterpillars, to which nematodes were attached, from Mr. A. M. Adamson of the Pacific Entomological Survey with a request, supported by Mr. E. P. Mumford, the Director of the Survey, that an examination and identification of the helminths would be much appreciated.

An analysis was undertaken of intestinal helminth communities in flounder Platichthys flesus from two sites on the River Thames. A comparison was made between helminth community richness and diversity from these sites at the component and infracommunity levels. At the component community level, a richer and more diverse parasite community was found in flounder from the Tilbury location (marine influence) than that from the Lots Road location (freshwater influence). At the infracommunity level, more parasite species and parasite individuals per host were found at Lots Road and the percentage of similarity values were low at both locations. Helminth species with high prevalence values in the parasite communities of the flounder are the dominant species in any individual fish, harbouring multi-specific infections. The presence of more invertebrate species, which are intermediate hosts in the helminth life cycle in the Thames, fish vagility and the high prevalence and abundance values of Pomphorhynchus laevis in the flounder, may explain the differences between the two locations.

Nondenatured and denatured total RNA from the tapeworm Diphyllobothrium dendriticum (Cestoda) was analysed by agarose gel electrophoresis. It was found that the large subunit ribosomal RNA (lrRNA) is 28.0S and the small subunit ribosomal RNA (srRNA) is 19.5S. Following denaturation the 28.0S rRNA was disrupted into a 19.5S subfragment and a 20.7S subfragment due to the presence of a centrally located hidden break. By hybridization of Northern blot membranes with oligonucleotide probes specific for the 5′- and 3′-ends of the lrRNA respectively, we have shown that the 19.5S sub-fragment is from the 5′-end (the α-subfragment) and the 20.7S subfragment from the 3′-end (the β-subfragment) of the 28.0S rRNA of D. dendriticum.

Pharmacological studies carried out on protoscoleces in vitro to standardize conditions that would permit a preliminary estimate of the efficacy of drugs with potential activity against Echinococcus granulosus are reported. Media such as PBS and Hanks solution, maintenance temperature, different pH values and concentrations of various solvents have been tested to check the effects on protoscolex survival in tubes in vitro. Mebendazole has been used as the pharmacological standard reference. Changes in the viability of protoscoleces have been used to demonstrate pharmacological activity. Best conditions were obtained employing Hanks solution and propylene glycol at low concentrations. Mebendazole was not completely effective at the concentrations achievable in human therapy. Linear, reproducible results demonstrated that Hanks solution provides an ideal medium for pharmacological studies. Among tested solvents, propylene glycol and dimethyl sulphoxide showed no lethal activity at low concentrations. At concentrations similar to those normally obtained in human sera, mebendazole, as in vivo, demonstrated only partial lethality for protoscoleces. The present study represents a new experimental approach to chemotherapy of hydatid disease.