— 120 — 



shields. Each shield presents a whole complex of chitinous 

 filaments, in the spaces between these are arranged 3 parallel^ 

 elongated papillae which are continued to the mouth-opening. 

 The tail of the male is provided with a bursa with the fol- 

 lowing arrangement of ribs: costae anteriores bifurcate slightly 

 near their apex; costae mediae present 3 equal branches com- 

 mencing by a common trunk; costae posteriores externae be- 

 gin from the middle of the elongated trunlv of costae poste- 

 riores; the latter are dichotomically divided in their posterior 

 part, and anteriorly to their bifurcation they have a lateral 

 branch, on account of which each costa posterior has a tri- 

 lobed character. 2 equal spicula and a gubernaculum. The 

 vulva is situated in tlie posterior part of the body. 2 uteri 

 diverging in opposite directions. Parasitic in the alimentary 

 organs of reptiles. Typical species: Diaplianoceplialus galeatus 

 (Rud. 1819) from Podinema tegiiixin in Brazil, 



2. Diaphanocephalus costatiis Rud. 1819. 



The caudal bursa of the male is typical for the genus: 

 costae anteriores slightly bifurcated near their apex; costae 

 mediae present 3 branches of a common trunk; costae poste- 

 riores externae and costae posteriores begin by a common 

 trunk, the former departing from the middle of it; costae 

 posteriores are composed of 3 lobes formed from the dicho- 

 tomous bifurcation of the posterior part of the rib and from 

 the lateral branch which departs anteriorly to the point of 

 this bifurcation. Length of spicules = 0,51—0,54 mm.; guber-. 

 naculum = 0,17—0,2 mm. The vulva is situated in the pos- 

 terior part of the body, dividing the latter into portions in 

 the ratio 5:3. 



The anal opening of the female is situated at a distance 

 of 0,765 mm. from the caudal end. 



The structure of the spicula is very original: they consist 

 of a basal corpus and an ala; the corpus is of a dark brown 

 shade with more or less large tubercles on its surface; the 

 transparent alae are transversely striated. The terminal part 

 of the spicula is spirally coiled. The character of the spicula 

 resembles that of the species described by Linstow in 

 1907 under the name Deletrocephalus stijlosiis (from the inte- 

 stine of a rhinoceros). 



