NEMATODE PARASITES OF BIRDS 87 



Hosts. — Columba arquatrix, 0. domestica, G. d. laticaitda, C. 

 gutturosa, C. licia. ('. picui, C. risoria. C. speciosa, C. talpacoti, 

 Crocejms phoenicopt&nis, PMogoenas luzonica, Stictoenas arquatrix, 

 Turtur sylvaticits. 



Chatin has reported this species from the pheasant and Sweet from 

 the chicken; Skrjabin thinks these writers probably had Ascaridia 

 galli {A. perxpicillum). 



Location. — Small intestine, usually; in esophagus, proventriculus, 

 gizzard, liver, and body cavity, occasionally. 



Morphology. — Ascaridia (p. 77): White translucent worms, 

 thinning towards the ends. Mouth with 3 subequal lips; dorsal lip 

 provided with 2 small papillae; a transverse fold of cuticle just 

 behind lateral lips. Anterior extremity provided with 2 semi- 

 elliptical cervical membranes. According to Ba} T lis and Daubney, 

 there are 26 to 30 pairs of cervical papillae, the first 2 or 3 pairs in 

 the cervical membranes, the others posterior to this. Nerve ring 

 f.OO/z posterior to head end. 



Male 16 to 31 mm. long, according to some writers; Johnston says 

 it is up to 40 mm. long; Baylis and Daubney say 60 to 70 mm. long 

 by 1.1 mm. wide. This is a considerable variation, possibty corre- 

 lated with host variation. Tail end obliquely truncated and 

 mucronated at the tip. Circular sucker, with chitinous walls, 150 to 

 200/x. long by 150 to 160/a wide. There is a small ala on each side of 

 the tail. According to Travassos, and to Baylis and Daubney, there 

 are 14 pairs of caudal papillae, of which 5 pairs are postanal; an- 

 terior of the sucker, 2 pairs on each side. The number and arrange- 

 ment is somewhat variable. (Schneider says there are 10 pairs of 

 papillae and figures 11 on one side and 12 on the other; Johnston 

 (fig. 119) finds 13 or 14 pairs.) Spicules equal, 1.2 to 1.9 mm. long. 



Female 20 to 37 mm. long by 1.3 to 1.6 mm. wide, according to 

 some writers; Johnston says it is up to 55 mm. long. Neumann says 

 up to 40 or even 70 nun. long; Castejori says usually 50 to 60 mm. 

 long in adult birds; Baylis and Daubney say 70 to 95 nun. long by 

 2.E mm. wide. Vulva near the middle of body. Tail straight, 

 conical, mucronated. Anus 1.2 mm. from end of tail: posterior to 

 onus a longitudinal depression. Eggs 68/* long, according to 

 Travassos; 80 to 90/x long, according to Railliet, by 1" to 50/t wide: 

 72/t long by 48/* wide, according to Irwin-Smith; 60 to 70/* long by 

 40/* wide, according to Johnston. 



Life history.- -Unterberger (1868) found that embryos developed 

 in eggs to the infective stage in 17 days, and thai when such egos 

 were fed to pigeons the young worms developed to adults in :'» weeks. 

 The occurrence of larval worms in the liver, reported by Bedel, 

 suggests that the larvae may migrate in a manner similar to ascarids. 



3612—27 8 



