TWO NEW NEMATODE WORMS FROM RODENTS 



By Emmett W. Price 



Of the Zoological Division, Bureau of Animal Industry, United states Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture 



In this paper two nematodes which appear to be new species from 

 rodents are described. The first of these species was collected from 

 the cecum and colon of a flying squirrel, GJaucomys volans voJans, 

 which was found dead by Miss Florence Thompson, librarian of the 

 Bureau of Animal Industry, at her home at Falls Church, Va., July 

 28, 1927. This parasite belongs to tlie family Oxyuridae Cobbold, 

 1864, subfamily Syphaciinae Railliet, 1916, and genus Syphacia 

 Seurat, 1916. For this species the name Syyliacia thompsoni is 

 proposed. 



Tlie second species was collected from the small intestine of a gray 

 squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis, which was killed near Bowie, Md., by 

 Dr. Albert Hassall, October 10, 1927. This species belongs to the 

 family Trichostrongylidae Leiper, 1912, subfamily Helimosominae 

 Travassos, 1914, and genus Heligmostf'onffylus Travassos, 1917. For 

 this species the name Heligmostrongylus hassalli is proposed. 



SYPHACIA THOMPSONI, new species 



SpecifiG diagnosis. — Syphacia: Slender forms, milk white in color, 

 male much smaller than female, and with the tail of both sexes very 

 long and slender. Cuticula coarsely striated transversely. The 

 mouth is provided with three lips of about equal size. The cir- 

 cumoral papillae and amphicls are situated laterally in two groups, 

 each group consisting of two small submedian papillae and a large 

 umbilicated amphid or so-called lateral papilla. (Fig. 1.) 



Male 3.1 mm. long and 156 to 160/x wide. The posterior end of the 

 male is strongly curved ventrally in the form of a hook. (Fig. 2.) 

 The cuticle of the anterior end of the body is inflated and is 78 to 98/^ 

 in diameter and extends from the base of the lips to the level of the 

 cervical papillae. The esophagus is club-shaped, 250 to 280/a long 

 by 38ju. wide at the narrowest part and increasing to 60)u, at the 

 posterior end. The esophageal bulb is spherical, 76 to 99/a in diam- 



No. 2749.— Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. 74, Art. 4 



2608—28 1 



