Systematic studies on the helminth parasites of pigs in India have appeared in papers by Maplestone (1930), Maplestone and Bhaduri (1937, 1942), Bhalerao (1924, 1931, 1935), Baylis (1939), Mudaliar and Gopalakrishnan (1938), Buckley (1939), Chatterjee (1939), Mukerjee (1945, 194G, 1948), Wolfgang (1953), Peter (1954). Srivastava and Peter (1954), Varma (1954), Ramanujachari and Alwar (1954), Sinha and Srivastava (1956), Thapar (1956), Sinha (1957), Alwar (1958) and Ahluwalia (1959, a, b; 1960, a, b, c). These studies are mostly in regard to the infestations encountered among pigs from scattered areas in India. Maplestone, Bhalerao and Baylis in their work have, however, compiled all the then available reports and also given brief descriptions of the species known to parasitise Indian pigs.

Two specimens of this fluke were collected from the nictitating membrane of the Steppe Eagle, Aquila nipalensis Hudson, shot near the lake Chinhut, about 5 miles from Lucknow, U.P.

The body.(Fig. 1) is aspinose, flattened and clavate with a narrow anterior and a broadly rounded posterior end. It measures 4·5–5·9 mm. in length and 1·5–1·8 mm. in maximum width in the middle region. The oral sucker is terminal measuring 0·33–0·36 mm. X 0·47–0·49 mm. The ventral sucker is larger than the oral sucker, situated at the level of the division of. the anterior and middle-thirds of the body, and about 1·14 mm. from the anterior extremity. It measures 0·56–0·61 mm. X 0·52–0·54 mm.

The parasite was found in the bile ducts of three sperm whales, which were caught in the 1957–58 whaling season.

As specimens were found independently in bile ducts of three whales this position in the host appears to be the natural habitat. All the worms were in pieces and incomplete. The pieces, in each case, totalled approximately 18 metres, 0·9 metres and 21 metres respectively. The holotype (length 18 metres) was probably complete except for a few terminal proglottids because it consisted of two very long pieces and one short piece which could be fitted together. The type material has been deposited in the British Museum (Natural History) Registered No. 1961·12·12·1 (Holotype) and 1961·12·12·1 (Para types).

1. The recovery of nearly 400 specimens of Fasciola hepatica from experimental infections of the mouse, representing 20 stages covering the period from the first day of infection to maturity at 37 days, has made possible for the first time a study of growth and maturation. Flukes have reached the bile duct on the 32nd day of infection, and in two instances reached this final location on the 29th and 24th days.

1. A new species Choanotaenia larimarina sp.nov. from the greater black-backed gull (Larus marinus) is described.

2. A comparison is made with other species of Choanotaenia which possess a reticulate uterus.

3. Because the uterus breaks down in only one of these four species it is suggested that in this type of development the breakage may be due to mechanical stretching of the tubule in the gravid segment.

4.If this be true then the portion of the uterine wall which envelops the egg is not a uterine capsule in the accepted sense.

95 laboratory bred mice were given orally 5 encysted metacercariae of Fasciola hepatica each and allowed to carry the infection for a minimum of 25 days so as to provide data bearing on the growth of flukes for about 10 days before the attainment of maturity and for some weeks after maturity. The results of these experiments indicate that the 4th and 5th weeks of infection represent a critical time for both the host and the parasite. Some experiments failed, probably on account of the small number of cysts used, and many hosts died during the critical period as a result of damage to the liver, but 60 flukes developed in 34 mice. The time required for the attainment of maturity was confirmed as 35–36 days, and 32 of the flukes from 17 hosts were laying their eggs for periods up to about 14 weeks.

This new species is described from material consisting of four males and six females said to have been recovered from the intestine of Rhinoceros bicornis in Kenya and sent to the writer through the courtesy of Mr. M. C. Round, B.Sc, of Veterinary Research Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Services, Kabete, Kenya.

A new species of Brugia, from the lymphatic glands of dogs in Ceylon, is described. It is closely related to B. patei (Buckley, Nelson and Heisch, 1958).

Also from dogs in Ceylon, a species of Dipetalonema was recovered whose relationship with other species of Dipetalonema is discussed. In the absence of conclusive evidence that it is a distinct species it is for the present regarded as a species inquirenda.

The purpose of this paper is to bring together all the information available on the helminth parasites known to occur in domesticated animals in Kenya. Several reports have been made by various workers over the past fifty years but these are scattered throughout the literature. Of the principal authors, Daubney (1926, 1933) has recorded many of the Nematodes, and Hudson (1934) published a list of the Cestodes known to occur in mammals, birds and reptiles in East Africa. Dinnik (1951, 1952, 1954, 1959, 1961a, 1961b, 1962) and Dinnik and Dinnik (1954–55, 1954, 1960) have recorded the Trematode species found in cattle, sheep and goats in East Africa.

The specimens on which this new genus and species are based were collected by Mrs. R. H. McConnell from the intestine of Cichlasoma festivum (Heckel, 1840) at Sofia, Georgetown, British Guiana. Since oxyurid parasites of fish are very unusual the possibility of the present specimens having been taken with food must be considered but this appears to be ruled out by the relatively good condition of the specimens and their location in the host. Oxyurid parasites are notoriously difficult to preserve in a good condition and the present specimens, although somewhat contracted, are in a much better condition than many other oxyurids I have received at various times which had been collected during parasitological surveys.

1.The common filarial parasite of cattle in Africa, Setaria labiatopapillosa, has been shown to develop in the mosquito Aedes aegypti. Third stage larvae reached maturity between the 8th and 10th days.

2.To avoid feeding mosquitoes on cattle new techniques were developed. Monkeys and rabbits were infected by transplanting adult living Setaria into then peritoneal cavities. Monkeys, rabbits and rats were also infected by either intraperitoneal or intravenous injections of suspensions of microfilariae extracted from the uteri of adult worms.

3.Mosquitoes fed on these substitute hosts were readily infected with the Setaria.

4.Mosquitoes were also infected by feeding them on a suspension of microfilariae through membranes of guineapig omentum; the microfilariae were extracted from the uteri of adult worms and suspended in fresh defibrinated rabbit's blood.

A few mosquitoes were infected by intrathoracic injections of uterine microfilariae.

1. Two new species, Spironoura sudanensis sp. nov. and Spironoura hexapapillata sp. nov. are described from freshwater fishes in the Sudan.

2. The genus Velariocephalus Singh, 1958 is considered to be a synonym of the genus Spironoura Leidy, 185G.

1.In Kenya Dipetalonema reconditum is a common parasite of dogs, jackals and hyaenas. Usually microfilarial densities in the blood are very low. The adult worms are small; they can be detected at autopsy by searching the subcutaneous fascial spaces with a dissecting microscope.

2.The morphology of the adult worms is described and illustrated. The adults and microfilariae are readily distinguished from other species found in dogs in East Africa.

3.The main intermediate host of D. reconditum in dogs in Kenya is the flea Ctenocephalides felis. If fleas are kept on dogs for more than a week they can be used for xenodiagnosis to detect very low density infections.

4.The infective larvae have a characteristic caudal morphology with three terminal projections. They are very similar to the infective larvae of D. arbuta, D. vite and D. manson-bahri.

Seven species of pharyngeal, longifurcate, distome furcocercariae are recorded from London (U.K.).

C. letifera Fuhr. is recorded for the first time from Britain. Two new species are described in detail.

A single female specimen of Dirofilaria subgenus Nochtiella was recovered from a painless firm lump above the right eyebrow in the frontalis muscle of a European who had recently visited Nigeria.

The incidence of aortic onchocerciasis was investigated by examining 167 aortas of adult cattle; of these 165 were positive for parasites and nodules.

Five young calves, aged between 3 and 6 months did not reveal any aortic infection, indicating that the infection is seen in adult animals mostly.

The affected aortas are invariably sclerosed, the degree of sclerosis being dependent on the degree of infestation; and the aortic nodules containing worms and microfilariae are seen on both sides but those on the outer wall mostly undergo degeneration and subsequent calcification while the nodules on the inner aspect permit the passage of microfilariae into the circulation.

Three new species of cercariae of the ‘Vivax’ type are described from London (U.K.) and the classification of this group of cercariae is discussed.

The life-cycle of one of the cercariae is studied and different stages are described in detail.