NEMATODE PARASITES OF BIRDS 295 



pointed, straight, the apex obtuse. Anus remote from tail end. 

 Vulva anterior to anus, very prominent, the posterior lip strongly 

 inflated. 



Life history. — Unknown. 



Distribution. — South America (Brazil). 



Family PHYSALOPTERIDAE Leiper, 1908 



Family diagnosis. — Spiruroidea (p. 102) : Mouth with 2 lips pro- 

 vided with teeth on their inner surface. Head without ornamenta- 

 tion. Male with large caudal alae, joined anteriorly across the ven- 

 tral surface; caudal papillae pedunculated. Female with 2, 4, or 

 more uteri. Vulva anterior to middle of body. 



Parasitic in mammals, birds, reptiles, and, rarely, amphibians. 



Type-genus. — Physaloptera Rudolphi, 1819. 



Subfamily Physalopterinae Stossich, 1898 

 Subfamily diagnosis. — Characters of the family. 

 Genus PHYSALOPTERA Rudolphi, 1819 



Generic diagnosis. — Physalopterinae (p. 295) : Body robust, mas- 

 sive. Cuticle thick, finely striated transversely, detached from the 

 body in the cephalic region where it forms an annular collar which 

 serves for fixing the parasite. Lateral fields large but with no cu- 

 ticular expansions. Two sensory papillae in the esophageal region, 

 situated posterior to the nerve ring. Mouth with 2 large lateral lips 

 provided with teeth on their internal surface and externally with 

 papillae near the point of their insertion. Buccal cavity short. 

 Esophagus clearly divided into 2 parts, a muscular clear portion and 

 a glandular opaque portion. 



Male with wide outspread caudal alae which join each other an- 

 teriorly across the ventral surface; 4 to 5 pairs of long pedunculated 

 papillae in cloacal region and a variable number of small ventral 

 papillae. Two spicules, usually unequal. No gorgeret. 



Female with small non-projecting vulva, situated anterior to the 

 middle of the body; ovejector tubular, very long, usually directed 

 posteriorly. Uteri 2, 4, or more in number, parallel. Eggs with 

 thick shells, embryonated at maturity. 



Parasitic normally in the digestive tract, generally the stomach, of 

 mammals, birds and reptiles, very rarely in amphibians. 



Type-species. — Physaloptera clausa Rudolphi, 1819. 



Travassos (1920<?) divided the genus Physaloptera into .'» genera: 

 Physaloptera, Olamidonema, Turgida, Abreviata, and Leptosoma. 

 Ortlepp, however, in an analysis of these genera, points out that this 

 division is unjustifiable. The present author is therefore using 

 Physaloptera in its original generic sense. 



