332 BULLETIN 140, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



(70XYSPIRURA) BREVIPENIS (Molin, 1860) Stossich, 1897 



Synonyms. — Sjriroptera brevipenis Molin, 18605/ Spiroptera mi- 

 crodactyli margravii Molin, 18606. 



Hosts. — Primary: Dicholophus margravi ( = Cariamu cristata) ; 

 secondary: Unknown. 



Location. — Under nictitating membrane. 



Morphology. — fOxyspirura (p. 321) : Body straight, slender, fili- 

 form. Anterior end attenuated,, apex truncate. Mouth large, orbicu- 

 lar, without lips or papillae. Buccal cavity absent. 



Figs. 395-398. — 395, Oxyspiruka siamensis. Male tail. After Linstow, 1903. 

 396, Oxyspiruka sygmoidea. Male tail. After Skrjabin, 1916. 397, Oxyspi- 

 bitra tanasijtchuki. a, head ; b, right spicule ; c, male tail. afteb skrjabin, 

 1916. 398, Oxyspiruka brevipenis. Male tail. After Drasche, 1884 



Male 16 to 22 mm. long by 400/* wide. Tail (fig. 398) coiled in 2 

 turns, without alae. Six pairs of preanal and 6 pairs of postanal 

 papillae, the latter inconstant in number and asymmetrical in ar- 

 rangement. Spicules almost equal, very short, curved, sabre-shaped. 



Female 11 to 27 mm. long by 100 to 500/x wide. Tail straight, 

 slender, conical, with thickened tip. Anus remote from tail end. 

 Vulva near anus, prominent, with swollen posterior lip. 



Life history. — Unknown; probably involves intermediate stages 

 in other hosts. 



Distribution. — South America (Brazil). 



Ransom (1904) has noted that the absence of a buccal cavity and 

 the presence of short spicules make the position of this species in this 

 genus questionable. 



