-4RT. 24 THREE NEW NEMATODES — SKINKER 7 



Family THELAZIIDAE Kailliet, 1916 

 METATHELAZIA, new genus 



Generic diagnosis. — Thelaziidae : Mouth without lips but followed 

 by a vestibule in the region of which the body wall is divided by in- 

 dentations into 4 pillarlike structures giving the quadripartite ap- 

 pearance of the head in anterior view (fig. 16) ; 4 submedian papillae 

 and 2 amphids ; esophagus muscular throughout, enlarged posteriorly, 

 the fibers of this portion being coarser than those of the anterior por- 

 tion, which gives the appearance of 2 parts to the esophagus. Males 

 with tail bluntly pointed and recurved, without caudal' alae; seven 

 pairs of sessile caudal papillae of which four pairs are preanal; 

 spicules equal and transversely striated; gubernaculum present. 

 Females with tail slightly curved and pointed; vulva near anus; 

 uterus apparently double. Oviparous; morulated eggs with a thick 

 shell. 



Type species. — Metathelazia calif omica^ new species. 



METATHELAZIA CALIFORNICA, new species 



Figures 12 to 19 



Specific diagnosis, — Metathelazia: Cuticle longitudinally striated. 

 Mouth without lips. Diameter of head about 38/i. Four or more 

 cuticular folds or serrations are present in the cervical region. The 

 most anterior fold is situated about 38/* from the anterior tip of the 

 head and each of the other folds is about 12|li posterior to the one 

 preceding it. The club-shaped esophagus is 500/a to 640ju, in length 

 and has a maximum width of about 68/a. The anterior portion ia 

 182ju, to 190/i in length. The nerve ring is about 122/i from the 

 anterior end. 



Male, 6.6 mm. long with a maximum diameter of 352/a. The eso- 

 phagus is 502/x in length and has a maximum diameter of 72/*. Of 

 the seven pairs of caudal papillae, three pairs are postanal. The 

 testis is a prominent structure originating about midway between the 

 anterior and the posterior ends of the body. It passes anteriorly to 

 a point about one-sixth of the distance from the anterior end where it 

 forms a loop and passes posteriorly to the region of the cloaca. The 

 spicules are equal, 225/t long, their greatest width being 25/i. The 

 gubernaculum is crescent shaped and about 42/i long. 



Female, much larger than the male; estimated from fragments 

 procured from the lynx, the total length of the mature female is about 

 20 mm. or longer. Maximum width about 241/*; the width at the 

 anus about 76/t. The anus is about 110/* from the posterior end of 

 the body and the vulva about 320/* from the end. The ovary appears 



