-BY S. J. JOHNSTON. 733 



elongated, in middle of body; ovary in front of testes to one side 

 of the middle line. Laurer's canal present; no receptaeulum semi- 

 nis. "Shell-gland" very large. Uterus short. Yolk-glands exten- 

 sive, laterally placed in front of the testes; behind the posterior 

 testes spreading under the whole surface of the body. Eggs very 

 large. In the intestine of lower mammals. 



Mehlisia acuminata, sp.n. 



(Figures 3, 9, 10.) 



Parasitic in the intestine of the marsupial "cat," Dasyurus 

 viverrinus. 



Diagnosis — Size moderate; form elongate, narrow leaf -shaped, 

 tapering to a sharp point behind. Integument spiny ; cuticle thick. 

 Suckers very large, near together; ratio of oral to ventral, 1:2. 

 Praspharynx, pharynx, no oesophagus, simple intestinal limbs, 

 reaching tlie posterior end. Excretory system of vessels and 

 sinuses as in the genus. Copulatory organs present. Genital 

 opening just in front of ventral sucker. Testes one behind the 

 other in the middle of the body; ovary in front of the testes on one 

 side of the middle line, much smaller than the testes. Laurer's 

 canal present, but no receptaeulum seminis. "Shell-gland" very 

 large. Uterus short, restricted to the middle field between the ovary 

 and ventral sucker and intestinal limbs. Yolk-glands extending 

 from the posterior edge of the ventral sucker to the posterior end, 

 at first laterally placed, behind the posterior testis spreading over 

 the whole surface of the body. Eggs very large,0-134 x 0'079mm., 

 few in number. 



Type-specimen in the Australian Museum, No. W.3.5.5. 



I have received about 40 specimens of this trematode, some 

 from Dr. J. P. Hill, of the University of London, and formerly of 

 the University of Sydney, some from Dr. Harvey Johnston, of the 

 University of Queensland, and some from the Bureau of Micro- 

 biology, Sydney, all taken from the intestine of the marsupial 

 "eat," Dasyurus viverrinus, collected in various parts of New 

 South Wales. In shape, these worms are elongated and narrow, 

 leaf-like, flattene<l dorsoventrally, but the flatness varies consider- 



