NEMATODE PARASITES OF BIRDS 



319 



The present writer has reexamined part of Leidy's original mate- 

 rial, but on account of the poor condition of the material was unable 

 to add to the description except as regards the esophageal length; 

 a figure of the anterior region of the body of the female has also 

 been made. The position of the species in this genus is very doubt- 

 ful but a reassignment to another genus is inadvisable with the in- 

 adequate description. 



THELAZIA (?) DIGITATA Travassos, 1918a 



Hosts. — Primary: Rampluistus, species; secondary: Unknown. 



L ocatio n . — Eye. 



Morphology. — Thelazia (p. 311) : Anterior extremity digitiform. 

 Cuticula transversely annulated. Buccal cavity about 21/a deep by 

 28/i wide. Esophagus subcylindrical, about 850ju, long by 87/i, wide. 



Male unknown. 



Fig. 3S. r 



-Thelazia ( ?) digitata. Female, a. Head end, showing vulva ; 

 b, tail. After Tkavassos, 1918 



Female 18 mm. long by 500/u wide. Vulva (fig. 383 a) 600> from 

 anterior extremity, its lips salient. Caudal extremity (fig. 383 5) 

 obtuse, curved towards the ventral face ; anus 120> from end. 



Life history. — Unknown; probably involves intermediate stages 

 in other hosts. 



Distribution. — South America (Brazil). 



Genus CERATOSPIRA Schneider, 1866 



Synonym. — Ancyracanthus Diesing, 1838, in part. 



Generic diagnosis. — Thelaziidae (p. 311): Mouth surrounded by 

 papillae and followed by a short buccal cavity. Male with very short 

 blunt tail provided with large alae and numerous simple caudal 

 papillae, of which 9 to 11 pairs are preanal. Two very unequal 

 spicules. Female with very short blunt tail. Vulva in anterior 

 part of body. Sometimes viviparous. Parasitic in orbital cavity 

 of birds. 



Type species. — Ceratospira vesiculosa Schneider, 1SG6. 



