NO. 2131. 



NEMATODE PARASITES OP RODENTS— HALL. 



133 



NEMATODIRUS SPATHIGER (Railliet, 1896) Railliet and Henry, 1909. 



Synonyms. — Strong ylus spathiger Railliet, 1896 ; Stroiigyhis 

 flicolVis Euclolphi, 1802, of Curtice, 1890; Nematodlrus fllcollh 

 (Riidolphi, 1802) Ransom, 1907, of Ransom, 1911, and others. 



Specific diagnosis. — Neinatodirus (p. 131) : Body slender, tapering 

 gradually toward the anterior extremity (fig. IGG) ; head between 25 

 and 50 \^ in diameter ; cuticle of head and neck may be slightly inflated, 

 in latter region coarsely striated transversely, elsewhere without 

 transverse striations (fig. 167). Four and probably six inconspicuous 

 circumoral papillae. Mouth small, followed directly by the esopha- 

 gus; no buccal capsule. Esophagus 100 to 500 [jl long. Cervical 

 papillae not apparent. Lateral meml)ranes absent. 



Fig. 106.— Nematodirus spathiger. 



Male at right, female at left. 

 Ransom, 1911. 



* Vulva. X 15. After 



Male 8 to 15 mm. long by 125 to 175 jm in maximum diameter. 

 Bursa with two large lateral lobes. Dorsal lobe short, deeply emargi- 

 nate, and thus reduced to two small lobules (fig. 168). Ventral rays 

 slender, close together, parallel. Externo-lateral ray at first close to 

 the medio-lateral ray, distally curves ventrad away from the latter, 

 Distally the medio-lateral and postero-lateral rays curve slightly 

 dorsad. Medio-lateral and postero-lateral rays close together through- 

 out their entire length, the tip of the latter extending slightly beyond 

 that of the former. Tip of the postero-lateral ray about equidistant 

 from the tip of the externo-dorsal ray and the tip of the externo- 

 lateral ray, the latter being about the same distance from the tip of 

 the latero-ventral ray. Lateral rays thicker than the other rays. 



