TAPEAVORMS OF THE GENERA RHABDOMETRA AND 

 PARUTERINA FOUND IN THE QUAIL AND YELLOW- 

 BILLED CUCKOO 



By Mtkna F, Jones 



Of the Zoological Division, Bureau of Anitnal Industry 



INTRODUCTION 



The type material (U.S.N.M. Cat. No. 5151) of Taenia odiosa 

 Leidy, 1887, until recently the only cestode reported from Colinus 

 virginianiis, is here redescribed and the species transferred to the 

 genus Rhdbdometra. This material, obtained for study through the 

 courtesy of Dr. J. Percy Moore, of the Liiiversity of Pennsylvania, 

 consists of several entire strobilae and numerous fragments, in all 

 about two dozen specimens. Various sections as well as toto mounts 

 were made and examined by the writer, 



Leidy's original description of Taenia odiosa is as follows : 



Head hemiovoidal to conical, unarmed ; bothria subteiiniual, spherical, near 

 together; neck none; body immediately after as wide or nearly as wide as the 

 head ; anterior segments short, linear ; succeeding segments all wrinkled annu- 

 larly, the more anterior bandlike, the posterior baiTel shaped. Generative aper- 

 tures lateral, mostly not visible. Length 1/2 to 2 inches. Head 0.3 to 0.45 mm. 

 wide ; body just behind about as wide as the head ; anterior segments 0.05 long ; 

 succeeding segments 0.15 long by 1 to 1.25 wide ; at widest part of body, 0.5 

 long by 1.625 wide; posterior segments 1.25 long by 1.25 wide. From tlie in- 

 testine of the quail, Ortyx virginianus, four birds of the same brood. 



EXTERNAL MORPHOLOGY 



The Leidy specimens vary in length from 20 to 50 mm., with a 

 maximum width of 2 mm. Four scolices (figs. 1. 2) measure 255/i, 

 325jLi, 330;ii, and 400;u, in diameter, their suckers measure 120fi, 150fi, 

 150/x, and 180/u,, respectively, and are unarmed ; no rostellum is pre.sent. 

 A short neck is evident or indistinct, according to the state of con- 

 traction. In most specimens all segments are broader than long; 

 however, most of the worms are longitudinally contracted; a few 

 elongate segments, median or posterior in the strobila of specimens 

 not so contracted, indicate that this is a decidedly variable feature 

 (figs. 3, 4). A few gravid segments are as much as five times longer 

 than broad. 



No. 2791.— Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. 75, Art. 20 



40748—29 1 



