NEMATODE PARASITES OF BIRDS 165 



garis by Stossich. If the report is correct, it is probable that the 

 bird had eaten a mole or rat, the normal hosts of S. tctipae, and that 

 the parasite was accidental in the bird. 



SPIRURA ZSCHOKKEI Railliet and Henry, 1911a 



Synony?n. — Spiroptera alata Zschokke, 1889, not Rudolphi, 1819, 

 renamed. 



Host. — Primary: Rhea americcma; secondary: Unknown: prob- 

 ably an insect. 



Location. — Pro vent riculus. 



Morphology. — Spirura- (p. 164) : Body cylindrical, cuticle trans- 

 versely striated. Two lateral alae extend the total length of body; 

 at the level of the posterior extremity of the esophagus they each 

 bear a projecting papilla. Head, somewhat distinct from the body, 

 with 2 strong lateral lips, hemispherical, slightly hollowed out like 

 a spoon, at the base of which there opens a narrow buccal slit. Each 

 lip supported by a cutinous (chitinous) armature consisting of a 

 thick triangular disk which is prolonged posteriorly by an attenu- 

 ated band ; on the internal edges there extends also a strongly chiti- 

 nized band. These internal edges, slightly arc-shaped, form anterior 

 to the mouth a sort of vestibule, slightly raised. The 4 chitinous 

 bands unite at the base to form a ring which surrounds the mouth and 

 carries 4 sharp teeth. In addition only the anterior half of the lips 

 is free; in the posterior half they are joined into a sort of simple 

 buccal cavity, the anterior edge of which also bears a chitinous 

 ring. Esophagus slightly enlarged, bulb-like, at posterior extremity. 



Male 30 mm. long by 1 mm. wide. Posterior third of body rolled 

 in spiral. Two pairs of postanal papillae. Preanal papillae un- 

 described but presumably (see generic diagnosis) number 4 pairs. 



Female unknown. 



Life history. — Unknown; probably involving an insect as inter- 

 mediate host, as larvae of Spirura gastropkila have been found en- 

 c} r sted in cockroaches. 



Distribution. — South America (Brazil) and Europe (Switzer- 

 land (Zoological Garden, Basel)). 



SPIRURA UNCINIPENIS (Molin, 1860) Railliet and Henry. 1911a 



Synonyms. — Spiroptera vnrinipenis Molin, 1800: Cheilospirura 

 uncinipenis (Molin, 18G0) Diesing, 1801. 



Host. — Primary: Rhea americana; secondary: Unknown, probably 

 an insect. 



Location. — Proventriculus. 



Morphology. — Spirura (p.164) : Body cylindrical, attenuated at the 

 extremities. Cuticle transversely striated; in the anterior region of 



