38 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol.81 



species. Presumably, however, the scolex of O. fthrata is the same 

 as that of O. agamae since Meggitt was unable satisfactorily to dis- 

 tinguish his form from O. agamae as described by Baylis. There- 

 fore, we may surmise that the suckers of O. fibrata are similar to 

 O. aganme and smaller than those of 0. eumecis. It is admitted 

 that these morphological differences are scarcely great enough to 

 separate species, in a group as variable as tapeworms of the genus 

 Oochoristica. If any two of the above-mentioned forms, however, 

 are to be combined, it promptly becomes necessary to refer three of 

 them to the same species. The result would be that forms from a 

 Burmese amphibian and North American lizards would be referred 

 to a single species. The identity of these forms seems very unlikely, 

 so it appears best for the present to consider all three as separate 

 species, although their characters are rather unsatisfactory. 



OOCHORISTICA AMERICANA, new species 



Plate 3, Figube 5 



Speci-fiG diagnosis. — Oochoristica: A flat white worm, with dis- 

 tinct segmentation; the total length is 40 mm, but no ripe segments 

 are present. The scolex is 0.5 mm wide, but it is not distinctly 

 marked off from the neck. The suckers are small and circular; they 

 measure 0.16 mm in diameter. Segmentation first appears about 

 3 mm from the scolex. IMature segments appear about 25 mm 

 from the scolex. Even in the last segments available the uterus has 

 not commenced to develop. The mature segments are about 1.1 mm 

 long and 0.85 mm broad. The genital pore lies slightlj' caudal to 

 the first fourth of the lateral margin. The cirrus pouch is large, 

 measuring 0.2 by 0.09 mm. From it the coiled vas deferens extends 

 mesad. The testes lie beside and behind the female glands. The 

 most anterior of the testes lie behind the middle of the ovary. There 

 are 35 to 40 testes in each segment. They frequently overlie one 

 another slightly, especially in the younger segments. The ovary is a 

 bilobed structure, lying in the caudal portion of the first half of the 

 segment. It is about 0.35 mm wide. Behind it lie the shell gland 

 and vitellaria, in the order named. The sex ducts pass between 

 the longitudinal excretory tubes. 



Host. — Faranci-a ahacura. 



Hahitat. — Intestine. 



Locality. — Houston, Tex. 



Type S2?echnen.—V.^.'^.'M. Helm. Coll. No. 30900. 



Remarks. — This form is very similar to O. anolis and 0. eumecis ', 

 from the former it is distinguished by the greater number of testes, 

 and from the latter bv the lesser number of testes. It differs from 



