Art. VI. — On a Nematode found in the Stomach of a 

 Copper-head Snake. 



(With Plate VIII.) 



By D. McAlpIxXE, F.C.S. 



[Eead June 12, 1890.] 



This nematode was found in the stomach of the same 

 snake as was infested with tlie fluke ; it measured about 

 five and a half inches in length, and was of a scarlet colour. 

 Its presence in the stomach may be simply due to the fact 

 that it was taken in with drinking water in the young- 

 condition, just as they sometimes enter the human body. 

 Or, the eggs ma^^ have entered the alimentary canal through 

 some intermediate host. It lived for several days in water 

 freely exposed to the air, after which it was sent to my 

 friend Dr. Cobb, of Sydney, for identification. He kindly 

 su]3plied the accompanying drawings on which the following 

 brief description is based : — 



The specimen happened to be a female, and since many of 

 the characters depend on the male, it has only provisionally 

 been referred to the genus Ascaris. 



The size and characteristic scarlet colour have already 

 been mentioned. The body tapers towards each end, and 

 is moderately stout (Fig. 1). The anterior end, of a whitish 

 colour, is terminated by the mouth, which is surrounded by 

 three projecting lips furnished with papillae (Figs. 7 and 8). 

 These lips are situated as shown in Fig. G, one directed 

 towards the dorsal surface and provided with two papillre, 

 and the two other lips sub-median, each with one papilla. 

 The inner margins of the lips are tinged with scarlet, and 

 the space between them is occupied by a shield-like organ (?) 

 likewise coloured scarlet, which however is not shown in the 

 Figure. 



The posterior end of the body is rounded off*, and near its 

 extremity is the anus, a small transverse slit on the ventral 



