NEMATODE PARASITES OF BIRDS 25 



tenuation anteriorly. Esophagus 1.125 to 1.2375 mm. long, widening 

 posteriorly and joining a much narrower intestine. 



Male 10 to 14 mm. long by 225/* wide. Lateral lobes of bursa 

 large. Ray structures uncertain. Lundahl says the anterior are 

 small and directed anteriorly and Linstow says the anterior rays are 

 doubled; one may assume from Lundahl that he refers to an anterior 

 ray on each side, the ventro-ventral, and this interpretation would 

 accord with the generic pattern, as this ray is set off from the suc- 

 ceeding rays in other species of the genus. Linstow's statement 

 would give the impression that the 2 ventral rays on each side w T ere 

 close together and parallel, a thing which would not accord with the 

 assignment of this species to the genus Amidostomw/m. Lundahl 

 states that the 4 middle rays extend to the margin of the bursa ; in 

 other species the distinct shortening of the externo-lateral ray, which 

 does not extend to the bursa margin, is rather distinctive; Linstow 

 states that the median rays have a common broad stem, and in most 

 species, except for A. chevreuxi, all rays except the dorsal ray have 

 such an origin where this point is covered or illustrated. Linstow 

 states that the posterior rays are doubled; Lundahl that the posterior 

 ray is straight and thick ; one may assume that there is a dorsal ray 

 associated with small dorsal lobe if the species belongs in this genus, 

 but the exact facts do not appear to be covered in the literature. 

 Spicules and telamon (gorgeret) not described. 



Female 14 to 17 mm. long. Tail elongate and pointed, directed 

 posteriorly and then outwards (dorsally ?). Vulva y 5 of body length 

 from tail end, strongly defined and limited anteriorly by a prominent 

 lip. 



Life history. — Unknown; probably simple and direct. 



Distribution. — Europe ( Sweden ) . 



AMIDOSTOMUM FULICAE (Rudolphi, 1819) Seurat, 191Se 



Synonyms. — Sj)in>i>l( ra fulicae Rudolphi, 1819. 



Host. — Fulica atr<i. 



Morphology. — Amidostomum, (p. 19) : Characters of the genus. 



Male 8.58 mm. long by 155/* wide. Tail 100/* long. Buccal cavity 

 16/* wide. Esophagus 884/* long. Spicules 175ft long. Telamon 

 (gorgeret) 70/* long. 



Female 9 mm. long by 175/u, wide. Buccal cavity 14/* wide. Esoph- 

 agus 972/* long. Vulva 1.56 mm. from end of tail. Eggs 105/* by 

 52/*. 



This description is taken from Seurat's table without critical con- 

 sideration of the works of Creplin, Stossicli, and Mueller, on which 

 Seurat bases it. Little information is available from Rudolphi or 

 Dujardin. 



