An immature parafilarial worm recovered from the anterior chamber of the eye of a buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is described. On the basis of characteristic cuticular ornamentation at the anterior extremity, an undivided short oesophagus and unequal spicules, the specimen has been identified tentatively as a male juvenile of Parafilaria bovicola. This is the first record for P. bovicola as an accidental infection of the eye of a buffalo.

The redia, cercaria and metacercaria of Opisthodiscus nigrivasis from Ancylastrum fluviatilis are described. Observations were made on the behaviour of the cercaria and experimental infections with metacercariae have been carried out in laboratory-raised frogs of the species Rana ridibunda. Some features of the morphology of these juvenile stages and aspects of the behaviour of the cercaria are compared with those of others related species.

The best known biological cycles in the Diplodiscinae are those of Diplodiscus subclavatus (Pallas, 1970) Diesing, 1836, and Megalodiscus temperatus (Stafford, 1905) Hanvood, 1932. The first was described by Looss (1892), who showed that the molluscs Planorbis nitidus, Pl. vortex, Pl. rotundatus, Pl. spirorbis and Pl. contortus acted as intermediate hosts. More recently Milka (1970) found young forms of D. subclavatus in Pl. planorbis and gave a brief description of the redia and cercaria of this species.

A brief redescription is given of Pulmostrongylus herpestis (Khera, 1956) recovered from the pleural cavity of a mongoose, Herpestes sp. from Suva, Fiji. The genus Herpestostrongylns Khera, 1956 is shown to be untenable and placed as a synonym of Puhnostrongylus Hsu, 1935. The genus Acanthoxynema Khera, 1956 is shown to be a synonym of Skrjabinema Vereshchagin, 1926; and the genus Papillosclerus Khera, 1956, a synonym of Metathelazia Skinker, 1931. and its subfamily Osleriinae Khera, 1956 is supressed.

This paper reports the occurrence of Skrjabinema ovis and Trichostrongylus spp. not previously identified in sheep and goats in Iran. A complete list of the helminth parasites now known to exist in sheep and goats in Iran is included in the discussion.

The cuticle is finely striated and is partially reflected over the lips. The cervical papillae are symmetrically placed and occupy a position just anterior to the junction of the two parts of the oesophagus at about the same level as the nerve ring, some 0·32 mm. from the anterior end. The pseudolips are hemispherical and lateral. Each of the two pseudolips carries two papillae, one towards the latero-dorsal border and one towards the latero-ventral border. An amphid is situated centrally between the two papillae on each pseudolip. Internal to the pseudolips there is a complete denticular crest comprising externo-lateral teeth, interno-lateral teeth, paired submedian teeth and intervening denticles (Fig. 1). The externo-lateral teeth are large and pointed; the interno-lateral teeth, somewhat more posteriorly placed (Fig. 2), are smaller and also pointed. The four pairs of sub-median teeth are easily distinguished by their greater size from the denticles. The four spaces between the sub-median teeth and the externo-lateral teeth are each occupied by six to seven denticles. These denticles are larger in size than the very small denticles of which ten occupy the dorsal and ten occupy the ventral angles of the denticular crest.

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.

An account is given of observations on the occurrence of nematodes of the genus Meloidogyne in the Gold Coast. It includes a list of seventy-six host plants, both cultivated and wild, suitable for the sustenance and multiplication of the parasites as well as comments on the reactions of these various plant species to invasions of their root tissues. Many of the host plants listed constitute new records and the data submitted point to the conclusion that the root-knot eelworm has been long established in the Gold Coast.

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.

Our knowledge of the range of intermediate hosts of which Syngamus trachea can take advantage is increasing. Recent observations have shown that the centipede, Scolopendra sp., the leatherjacket, Tipula sp., and the spring tail, Sminthurus viridis may all act as vectors. In each case the larvae had migrated from the gut into the surrounding tissues where they had settled down. All these Arthropods have been found naturally infected on a plot of land known to be carrying a heavy burden of gapes.

Schizorchis arfaai sp. n. is described from the wood-mouse in the Caspian area of Iran and its morphological characteristics compared with those of the five previously known species of Schizorchis Hansen, 1948.

An examination of the type material of Dibothriocephalus medius Fahmy, 1954, was made possible by the kind co-operation of Professor Swann of the Zoology Dept., Universityof Edinburgh, where the specimens are lodged.

TPase and SDII activities were studied in various tissues of Ceylonocotyle scoliocoelium maintained in vitro in medium A for 15 days, using standard histochemical techniques. Results were compared with the normal activities of these enzymes in the tissues of worms freshly collected. Low ATPase and SDH enzyme activities in the tissues of cultured flukes indicated their low metabolic rate. Intensity of enzymatic reactions was also found to be tissue specific. The suitability of culture medium ‘A’ for the in vitro cultivation of amphistomes is discussed.

During the last two decades a number of species have been described in the already large genus Oxyspirura Drasche in Stossich, 1897. Twenty four new species have been described from India alone ; 2 by Singh (1948), 9 by Ali (1960), 4 by Rasheed (1960), 8 by Sultana (1964) and one by Siddiqi and M. S. Jairajpuri (1964). Recently, Oliveira Rodrigues (1962, '63) added 5 species from Brazil and Barus (1963, '65) 2 species, one from U.S.S.R. and the other from Czechoslovakia.

A survey of avian nematodes of Uttar Pradesh in India and Shagunu, Northern Nigeria yielded a number of worms from the orbital cavities of different birds. They represent 14 unidentified species of Oxyspirura and are here described as new.

All measurements are in millimetres unless otherwise stated.

A new species, Hymenolepis miniopteri is described. The specimens studied were recovered from the ileum of the bat, Miniopterus blepotis (Temminck, 1840) from South Queensland.

The type and cotype specimens are lodged in the Queensland Museum, Brisbane, Australia.

The young of all nest dwelling birds are fed continuously by their parents. It is the latter therefore who choose the food which is mostly composed of that which the adult birds feed on. Under these circumstances it is therefore not surprising that fledglings when still in the nest are found to harbour helminths of which the larval forms were contained in the food.

In view of Morgan's (1943) contribution “The Physalopterinae (Nematode) of Aves”, it is unnecessary here to review the literature in this group; but it should be noted that Morgan regards Physaloptera alata as having four pairs of pedunculated papillae on the male tail, whereas Cram (1927), reproducing Rudolphi's (1819) and Seurat's (1914) descriptions, states the number to be five. Ortlepp (1922), Li (1934) and Singh (1949) also described the number as five.

Starting with eggs from a natural habitat the authors were able to raise and breed Bulinus truncatus, the snail vector of schistosomiasis haematobia, under conditions of total and continuous darkness and to complete the life-cycle from egg to egg in 70 days. The rearing of a second generation was interrupted by circumstances beyond the authors’ control. Darkness is shown nevertheless to have a restrictive effect on population growth and the use of covered channels and pipes for irrigation water, although not a complete control measure, should therefore be adopted wherever possible in endemic foci of schistosomiasis haematobia where snail control is necessary.

Resistance against an infective organism is a self evident requirement for healthy survival within the endemic area of any spreading disease, the most constant and the most effective force being the immunity that is acquired as a result of infection. In developed parts of the world most members of the human community must go through the process of acquiring resistance to measles, mumps and chicken pox in order to have assurance that they will not at some time be incapacitated by one or the other. The dog community is in a similar position with regard to distemper. This principle for preparation to live healthy in an infected environment is widely accepted for the microbial crowd—diseases of man and animals, but has not so far received general acceptance for diseases caused by parasitic worms.

The life history of Olveria indica was worked out experimentally at Lucknow. Gyraulus convexiusculus was shown to be the intermediate host. The various stages in the larval development are described in detail.