4 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 67 



a European mole, presumably Talpa europaca. The worms which 

 have tlie shape of the figure 8 as they lie in the cyst are described and 

 figured by Goeze. who recognized their ascarid structure and placed 

 them in the genus Cueiillanus. The specific name Cucidlanus talpae 

 was proposed for these parasites by Schrank (1788). Zeder (1803) 

 named them Fusariu incisa and Rudolphi (1802) called them Ascans 

 incisa, by which name they have been commonly known to helminthol- 

 ogists. Leuckart (1842) records encysted larval nematodes from the 

 abdominal cavity and liver of the European shrew {Sorex tetragon- 

 urus) similar to and possibly identical with Ascaris incisa. Leuckart's 

 specimens are from 10 mm. to 18 mm. long, whereas Ascaris incisa 

 is only from 8 mm. to 10 mm. long according to various observers. 

 Without expressing any definite opinion, Leuckart considers the 

 possibility that the forms from the shrew are distinct from Ascaris 

 incisa and proposes the tentative name Ascaris acanthura for his 

 specimens. According to Seurat (1916) SpiropterastrumosaM.egnin 

 (1881) is synonymous with Ascaris incisa Rudolphi (1802). Under 

 the name Spiroptercc stnunosa Megnin records encysted nematodes 

 from the surface of the stomach and intestines of a European mole. 

 This writer finds that although these cysts are six times as large as 

 Trichinae cysts, they have been mistaken for the latter. Baylis 

 (1924) expresses the opinion that encysted nematodes from small 

 mammals, such as shrews, belong to the genus Porrocaecum. This 

 opinion is apparently based on Leuckart's idea that Ascaris incisa 

 is a larval stage of Ascaris depressum {Porrocaecum depressum) . 



The two species of Porrocaecum larvae described in this paper are 

 related to the various forms described from Europe, but they diti'er 

 from the latter as regards location, occurring subcutaneously, where- 

 as the European specimens have been recorded from the abdominal 

 cavity. Ascaris incisa, is in all probability, a group name, similar 

 to Ascat'is capsularia, a collective name including various agamic 

 nematodes encysted in fishes. According to Seurat's diagnosis 

 (1916) Ascaris incisa occurs in branching cysts, the capsules being 

 multiple and connected to each other by peduncles given off from the 

 cyst wall. This is borne out by Leuckart's figures of Ascaris incisa 

 (Leuckart, 1876). Megnin's figure of Spiroptera strmmosa likewise 

 shows a pedunculated cyst. Goeze's figures of Gucullanus talpae, 

 and Leuckart's figures of Ascaris acanthura, which he considered as 

 probably identical Avith Ascaris incisa, show nonpedunculated cysts, 

 from which it may be concluded that under the name Ascaris incisa 

 two or more species are probably included. 



Porrocaecum encapsuTatum, differs strikingly from all previously 

 described nematode larvae from Insectivora in size, since it is four 

 times as long as Ascans incisa and twice as long as the longest 

 •specimens of Ascaris acanthura. Porrocaecum eivcapsulatwni is 



