1 56 ALLAN HANCOCK PACIFIC EXPEDITIONS VOL. 2 



is about 0.35 mm. in length, and joins the divergent uteri. The thin- 

 shelled, asymmetrically flattened eggs are segmented in utero. The eggs 

 vary in size from 0.038 to 0.049 mm. wide by 0.075 to 0.105 mm. long, 

 with an average size of 0.042 by 0.092 mm. 



GENERIC DIAGNOSIS OF PARALAEURIS 



Small slender oxyurids; tail long in both sexes, about one seventh 

 body length in male and about one fourth body length in female. Male 

 tail with wide caudal alae. No lateral alae in either sex. Cephalic region 

 indistinct ; three simple lips, each with two papillae ; ventrolateral lips 

 each with a small anteriorly directed cuticular process. Esophagus rela- 

 tively short, muscular throughout its length. Excretoiy pore postbulbar. 

 Vulva slightly anterior to mid-body; ovejector present; two uteri and 

 two ovaries present. Eggs small, elongated. Male with single, short, 

 stout, and sharply pointed spicule. V-shaped accessory piece present. 

 Four pairs pedunculated papillae, three of which are precloacal, and the 

 fourth pair support wide caudal alae. 



Type species: Paralaeuris dorochila from the intestine of Conolo- 

 phus subcristatus Gray. 



Affinities: The presence of a single spicule and an accessory piece 

 places this genus in the subfamily Syphaciinae Railliet, 1916. There 

 are five genera in this subfamily all of which are parasites of reptiles. 

 Only two of the genera, Alaeuris Thapar, 1925 and Thaparia Ortlepp, 

 1933 have caudal alae in the males. This genus resembles Alaeuris and 

 Thaparia in the presence of caudal alae. However, the smaller size, the 

 relative length of the esophagus to the body, the shape and length of 

 the spicule, the position of the vulva, the position of the excretory pore, 

 the relative length of the tail, the character of the genital papillae, and 

 the structure of the caudal alae are characters in which this genus differs 

 from Alaeuris and Thaparia. 



This genus has a superficial resemblance to Pharyngodon Diesing, 

 1861 of the subfamily Oxyurinae Hall, 1916. It differs from it in the 

 presence of the accessory piece, the absence of lateral alae, the relative 

 position of the vulva to the excretory pore, and the presence of an 

 ovejector. 



The closest resemblance between this genus and the known genera 

 of reptilian oxyurids is with the genus Alaeuris Thapar, 1925. Thus 

 the name Paralaeuris is proposed for this genus. 



