Sept. 15, 191 s 



Tylenchus Similis 



567 



regular striations of the cuticle extend nearly to the terminus. The two 

 equal, slightly arcuate, or nearly straight, tapering spicula are about one 

 and one-third times as long as the anal body diameter. Their proximal 



ends are cephalated by constriction. At their 



widest part, which is near the constriction, they 

 are about one-fifth as wide as the corresponding 

 portion of the body. Distally they taper to a 

 slightly blunt point. The accessory pieces are 

 about half as long as the spicula and are placed 

 parallel to them. Passing inward the accessory 

 piece increases in thickness for some distance and 

 then near the middle begins to taper and at the 

 same time to curve away from the spicula almost 

 imperceptibly. The 



Fig. 2. — Tylenchus similis: Male, a. 

 Lip region; c, base of the spear; e, 

 oesophageal lumen; /, oesophagus; 

 g, vestige of bulb; h, nerve cell; 1, 

 nerve ring; /, excretory pore; /, a 

 nerve cell; m, end of testis; g, fat 

 granule of intestine; i, terminus; 

 /, bursal papilla; v, accessory piece; 

 X, spermatozoa; y, left spiculum; 

 2, bursa. 



,^?:^ 



accessory piece ap- 

 pears to have at- 

 tached to it muscles 

 which pass back- 

 ward, but the distal 

 attachment of these 

 muscles has not yet 

 been made out. The 

 single testis extends 

 forward and has its 

 tapering blind end 

 located considerably 

 behind the middle of 

 the body. The proxi- 

 mal portion of the 

 testis is about one- 

 half as wide as the 

 corresponding por- 

 tion of the body. 

 The males are more 

 rare than the females, 

 the ratio appearing 

 to be about i male to 

 every 5 to lo females. 



It is a rather re- 

 markable feature of 

 this species that the 



young have tails more blunt than the adults, the reverse being usually the 

 case with nematodes. 



Habitat, (i) About the roots of bananas (Fiji); (2) in the roots of 

 sugar cane (Kauai, Hawaii); (3) in the roots of bananas (Jamaica). 



