6 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 7S 



cephalus Looss, 1901 ; Pleurogonlus Looss, 1901 ; C'ricocephalus Looss, 

 1899; Glyphicephalus Looss, 1901; Epibathra Looss, 1902; Pyeloso- 

 mur)i Looss, 1899 ; Desmogonius Stephens, 1911 ; Diaschistorchis John- 

 ston, 1913; Wilderia Pratt, 1914; Syn.echorchis Barker, 1922; Hip- 

 pocrepis Travassos, 1923 ; and Astrorchis Poche, 1926. 



The genera Diaschistorchis Johnston, Synechorchis Barker, and 

 'Wilderia Pratt are so similar in shape and arrangement of the in- 

 ternal organs that Synechorchis and Wilderia should be considered as 

 synonyms of Diaschistorchis, and D. pandus and S. megas apparently 

 should be regarded as being specifically identical as well as con- 

 generic. Diaschistorchis ellipticus (Pratt) differs from D. pandus in 

 the absence of a cephalic collar and polar egg filaments, and for the 

 present they may be considered as distinct species. 



The genus Hippocrepis which was proposed by Travassos (1922) 

 for Monostoma hippocrepis Diesing, a parasite of Hydrochoerus 

 capyhara, has been placed in the family Pronocephalidae by Poche 

 (1926). From a study of the descriptions and figures of this species 

 as given by Braun (1901) and Diesing (1855), it is the writer's 

 opinion that the genus Hippocrepis should be retained in the family 

 Notocotylidae where it was placed originally by Travassos. Flip- 

 pocrepis hippocrepis is characterized by the presence of two muscular 

 flaplike lobes at the anterior end of the body, a pretesticular ovary, 

 a preovarial shell gland, and a genital pore situated in the median 

 line in the anterior part of the })ody. The cephalic lobes and pre- 

 testicular position of the ovary give this species a su]Derficial re- 

 semblance to certain members of the Pronocephalidae. The struc- 

 ture of these lobes, however, according to the description of them as 

 given by Braun (1901), does not appear to be comparable to that of 

 the cephalic collar of members of the Pronocephalidae. The median 

 position of the ovary and preovarial position of the shell gland are 

 characteristic of all genera of Notocotylidae, while in the genera ot 

 Pronocephalidae the ovary is situated to the right of the median line 

 and the shell gland is either dorsal, median, or posterior to the ovary.^ 

 The host relationship of Hippocrepis, although not necessarily a 

 deciding factor, is in support of the opinion that this genus should be 

 placed in the family Notocotylidae, as all members of tliis family are 

 parasitic in warm-blooded vertebrates while those of the Pronoce- 

 phalidae are parasitic in cold-blooded vertebrates. Fuhrmann (1928) 

 doubtfully places Hippocrepis in the subfamily Nudacotylinae, but 

 it seems to the writer that it should be placed in the subfamily 

 Notocotylinae on account of the position of the genital pore and the 



^ Baylis (1928) described a species, Notocotylus chionis, in wliicli he says that the 

 shell gland lies behind the ovary. The body which he figures as being the shell gland may 

 be this structure, but if so the postovarial position of the shell gland in a species of 

 Notocotylus is unusual and a notable exception to the rule. 



