200 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



VOL. 50. 



champs, 1824; Filaria convoluta (Zecler, 1803) Molin, 1858&; Filaria 

 stramosa (Froelicli, 1791) Stossich, 1897; Filaria rytipleures Seurat, 

 1911. 



Specific diagnosis.— Sjnrura (p. 199) : Posterior portion of body 

 decidedly thicker than anterior portion (fig. 257). Cuticle densely 



striated transversely. At a dis- 

 ^ ^^ tance one-seventh to one-twelfth of 



the total body Jength from the an- 

 terior end is a prominent cuticular 

 boss or struma. The anterior ex- 

 tremity is bluntly rounded. Mouth 

 with two rather inconspicuous lips 

 (fig. 258), each bear- 



ing three papillae. 

 Esophagus narrow 

 and cylindrical, one- 

 fifth as long as body. 

 Male 10 to 20 mm. 

 long and 250 jtx thick 

 behind the boss and 

 360 p. thick posteriorly 

 in specimens 15 mm. 

 long. The head is 70 

 Tlie esophagus is 1/3.8 



257. 258. 



Figs. 257,258.— SriKUKA talpae. 257, Vi^orms attached to mu- 

 cosa. Enlarged. After Nitzsch, 1829. 258, Anterior ex- 

 tremity, lateral a-iew. Enlarged. After Nitzsch, 1S29. 



p. in diameter and the mouth 40 p in diameter 

 as long as the body. The tail is GOO p long and terminates obtusely 

 (fig. 259). It bears two bursal alae. There are four pairs of preanal 

 papillae and five pairs of postanal papillae, of 

 which the last two pairs are close to the posterior 

 extremity. There is an unpaired papilla anterior 

 of the cloacal aperture. The long spicule is 530 /x 

 long and 18 p thick; it is tubular, obtuse and re- 

 curved almost in a circle. The short spicule is 

 400 fx long, ensiform, divided longitudinally by a 

 thickened median keel and expanded laterally in 

 two transversely striated membranous alae. 



Female 20 to 32 mm. long and 300 p thick be- 

 hind the boss (fig. 2G0) and 620 u thick poste- 



™, , , . . T , , Fig. 259.— Spirura talp.^e. 



riorly. ihe head is 109 fx in diameter and the posterior extremity of 

 mouth 58 IX in diameter. The esophagus is one- 

 fifth as long as the body. The posterior extremity 

 of the body is conical with an obtuse termination, the conical 

 portion being concave ventrally and the anus situated at the 

 anterior extremity of the concavity (fig. 261). The vulva is 

 about five-eighths of the body length from the anterior ex- 

 tremity, or about 11.8 mm. from the posterior extremity in 



MALE. Enlarged. Af- 

 ter Nitzsch, 1829. 



