In continuation of our investigations on the relationship between the various Coccidia living in man and carnivorous animals (dog, cat, fox, etc.), we have had the opportunity of examining the intestines of several badgers, Meles taxus, which died in the Zoological Gardens, Budapest. These examinations revealed in a number of cases the occurrence of Coccidia belonging to both Eimeridae and Diplosporidae. In order to eliminate the possibility of these coccidial infections having been derived from other animals (fox, dog, cat), kept in close proximity with the badgers, it was found necessary to determine whether such infections also occur in badgers living under natural conditions. With the kind help of Prof. Raitsits, head of the ambulatory clinics of our College, we succeeded in obtaining a young specimen of Meles taxus, which not only harboured Coccidia, but subsequently served as an experimental animal for various cross-infections.

The present paper deals mainly with some new species of cestodes collected from birds commonly occurring in and near Nagpur, C.P., India.

The lymph system of Zygocotyle lunatum consists of a pair of longitudinal vessels dorsal and slightly medial to the intestinal caeca with branches to various body organs. On the basis of the lymph system and host relationships of the type genus Zygocotyle, the diagnosis of the sub-family Zygocotylinae as modified by Bhalerao to contain Stunkardia dilymphosa must be revised.

When studying a collection of ticks sent to us by Dr G. I. Sorokoumov from Turkestan, we observed several specimens which presented a remarkable appearance. Their bodies were covered with numerous oval, whitish, well-defined elevations with a glossy surface. We could find no reference to such a condition in the literature on ticks. A disease in Rhipicephalus bursa nymphs, observed by P. Schulze in 1925, and supposed to be due to a fungus, offers no similarity.

Habitat and material. By the courtesy and at the request of Prof. Vladimir Ebathof of Archangel I have been enabled to examine and describe two female copepods belonging to a new genus and species of the family Lernaeopodidae, consigned to him as taken from the gills of Rhyncodon typicus Smith caught in 1913 in the Pacific between China and south-west Japan. One specimen, drawn to scale (Fig. 1), was twice the size of the other.

On 28. viii. 1932 seven specimens of Graffilla gemelipara Linton 1910 were found by Miriam Rothschild on the body inside the mantle cavity of a specimen of Cardium edule from Millbrook, Plymouth.

Though only taken previously in America and on a different host, Modiolus plicatulus, Linton's excellent figure leaves no doubt that these specimens belong to the same species.

Material and habitat. Various Entozoa have been recorded from time to time occurring in the body cavity of their hosts, but very few records have been made of trematodes living in the coelom of fishes. Looss (1902) gives an account of Probolitrema richiardi (Lopez) occurring in the coelom of Mustelus vulgaris and Acanthias vulgaris, and this is the only form occurring in British marine fishes to which reference can be found in the literature (Nicoll, 1915).

The life history of Onesia accepta Mall. is described. This species is parasitic on the earthworm Microscolex dubius Fletcher. The first and second larval instars are passed under the skin and the third instar in the body cavity of the host. The feeding period of the maggot is approximately 20 days, and the pupal stage about 12 days.

The external morphology of the three larval instars and of the puparium is described in detail.

The priority of the names of the fishes in the following list has been determined from Jordan in Part II of the Report of the United States Commissioner of Fisheries for the year 1928: A check list of Fishes. In determining the names of those not mentioned in this list I have to thank Mr J. R. Norman of the British Museum for his kind assistance.

On March 7th, 1931, the writer collected numerous ticks (six species) from an adult tapir, Tapirella, bairdii (Gill), soon after it had been killed near Summit, Canal Zone, Isthmus of Panama. By far the greater number belonged to a species somewhat resembling Amblyomma cajennense in general appearance, but showing characteristics readily separating it from that species. Two young tapirs, of the same species as the foregoing, that were examined more recently were also found to be heavily infested with this species of tick. Since this species is apparently a new one it is herewith described under the name of Amblyomma tapirellum.

The following is a description of a Cysticercoid obtained during investigation of the larval cestode fauna of Dundee and Arbroath districts (Harper, 1930). The Cysticercoid was first obtained from Helodrilus (Allolobophora longus Cede) the host containing four larvae; later, two similar larvae were found in Lumbricus terrestris L. Many specimens of these hosts were dissected but only the above two infections were observed.

The following marine Ichthyobdellid leeches have been taken at Plymouth:

I.Calliobdella lophii van Beneden and Hesse, on a large Lophius piscatorius; 1 capture, 4 specimens (vide Leigh-Sharpe, 1913 and 1914).

II. Pontobdella muricata (Linn.) on various species of Raia; rare at times; moderate-sized specimens common on skates and rays in the spring and summer of 1932.

The following constitutes a supplement to my previous list (Leigh-Sharpe, 1926), and consists of a few records previously omitted, and also an account of some Copepoda taken by me during a visit to the Laboratory of the Marine Biological Association, Plymouth, Aug.–Sept. 1932.

Brachyplatystoma vaillanti is locally very common in the Amazon river, though, during my collecting tour in 1931, I examined only twenty-two examples, caught between Codajaz (nearly 1200 miles from the sea) and Gurupa. The local name of this Siluroid is Piramutāb; it is a fairly large fish (my largest specimen measuring 67 cm. in length) and possesses very long maxillary barbels (in some cases nearly as long as the body). From this fish I obtained two new species of Cestodes, one, the more numerous parasite, is a Phyllobothriid, and, so far as I am aware, this is the first occasion on which a Phyllobothriid has been described both from a fresh-water fish and from a Siluroid; and the other is a second and new species of Fuhrmann's genus Goezeella, very closely related to his G. siluri described in 1915.

This paper contains an account of four new Coccidia from Uganda: Caryospora legeri sp.n., from a snake, Psammophis sibilans; Isospora dirumpens sp.n., from a snake, Bitis arietans; Wenyonella africana gen.n., sp.n., from a snake, Boaedon lineatus; and Eimeria urnula sp.n., from a bird, Phalacrocorax carbo lugubris. Eimeria dukei. Lavier 1927, is recorded from a new host, Chaerephon (= Nyctinomus) limbatus (bat).

The characters of the new Coccidia are summarised in the diagnoses (pp. 364, 369, 373, 378). There is a list of all the known species of Isospora found in snakes and lizards. It is noted that I. coelopeltis Galli-Valerio 1926, is actually an Eimeria, and its name is amended to E. coelopeltis. The diagnostic characters of the three species of Caryospora are given in tabular form.

The discovery of a new type of Coccidia, with oocysts containing sixteen sporozoites, divided between two sporocysts in Dorisiella Kay 1930, and between four in Wenyonella gen.n., necessitated a revision of the systematics of the Eimeriidea.

When the genera comprising this suborder (with a few exceptions) are arranged in the ascending order of the number of structural elements (sporocysts and sporozoites) contained in their oocysts, they form parallel series or groups in the horizontal and vertical directions, which consist of homologous members, as represented graphically in Fig. VI (p. 383). The oocyst characters of each genus are determined by those of its four neighbours in the horizontal and vertical groups.

This scheme serves as the basis for the new classification proposed, which is represented in Table III (p. 385). The higher systematic units (subfamilies) are distinguished from each other by the number of sporocysts within the oocyst, while the genera of each subfamily differ from each other in the number of sporozoites within each sporocyst, thus forming a homologous series.

1.Cases of accelerated development of insects due to parasitism are reviewed.

2.Two new cases are recorded.

3.The phenomenon is discussed in the light of Roubaud's study of the diapause.

Two species of coccidia have been found in captive Felidae examined by us in Russia:

(1) Isospora felis Wenyon 1923, in lion, tiger and lynx.

(2) Isospora rivolta (Grassi 1879), in tiger, leopard and jungle cat.

Male: Large, 4·00–7–75 mm. long. Salient features: Inornate; basis capituli nearly twice as broad as long; lateral angles within the anterior third and rather acute. Anterior coxae slightly prominent in dorsal view. Lateral grooves well-marked and including two festoons. Dorsal furrows distinct, the lateral somewhat comma-shaped, the median straight and continued anteriorly beyond the laterals. Punctations very numerous, usually discreet and equal in the median area which appears shagreened; few on the scapulae, lateral folds and festoons, which form a glossy border. Adanal plates with straight external border and broad, rounded posterior border; internal border slightly concave to where it joins the posterior border to form a small point in a number of specimens. Accessory plates distinct. Spiracle short with slight dorsal curve.

From three specimens of the Amazon Siluroid fish Platystomatichthys sturio (the “Lenha”) I have described (1) Othinoscolex lenha, representing not only a new genus and species but also a new subfamily (the Othinoscolecinae) of the Proteocephalidae, (2) Othinoscolex myzofer, a second species of the new genus, (3) a distinct new species of La Rue's genus Monticellia—Monticellia lenha, and (4) a new species of Proteocephalus, Proteocephalus lenha.

In The Entomologist of August, 1928, P. G. Shute gave an account of mosquitoes reared from larvae collected by him in salt marshes at Walton-on-the-Naze (Essex), which, he stated, though closely resembling Theobaldia (Culicella) morsitans Theo., differed from that species in certain respects, notably by having the male adult palps distinctly shorter. The description given by Shute of this “short-palped” Culicella was as follows:

Larvae. Dark brown in colour, pecten teeth more widely spaced in typical C. morsitans and sometimes extending as far as one-third the length of the siphon. Comb scales taper sharply at the base. Anal gills shorter, hardly more than one-third the length of the anal segment.