94 Records of the Indian Museum. [Vol. IX, 



The two branches follow the contour of the two rami of the intes- 

 tine, one on each side, to a point near the ventral sucker, 

 beyond which they could not be traced. The inwardly directed 

 loops of the branches of the excretory duct, however , extend much 

 nearer the median line than do the corresponding loops of the in- 

 testine. 



Reproductive system : (A) Male. — The testes are a pair of 

 opaque globular bodies i mm. in diameter, situated one on each 

 side of, and very slightly behind, the ventral sucker, and one testis 

 is slightly anterior to the other. The efferent canals run forward 

 towards the median line of the body where they appear to meet 

 just in front of the ventral sucker. The vas deferens is short. 

 The vesicula seminalis was not clearly made out. As sections were 

 not prepared it was impossible to make out further details. 



(B) Female. — The germarium is single and is situated posterior- 

 ly, and just anterior to the last inwardl}^ directed loop of the right 

 ramus of the intestine, and about 5 mm. from the posterior margin 

 of the worm. It lies transversely as a sinuous tube. The uterus is 

 a very long sinuous tube which first runs along the penultimate 

 laterally directed loop of the right ramus of the intestine. It then 

 runs across the body of the worm and along the penultimate laterally 

 directed loop of the left ramus of the intestine. Then, across the 

 body again to the antepenultimate laterally directed loop of the 

 right ramus of the intestine, etc., to the anterior, where it passes 

 dorsal to the ventral sucker, to the genital aperture. The vitelline 

 glands lie on the posterior dorsal surface. They consist of a large 

 number of grape-like follicles connected to a duct which opens to 

 the germarium close to the junction of the germarium with the 

 shell gland. The shell gland is situated close to the junction of 

 the vitelline duct with the uterus. 



The recent advances made in parasitic zoology have resulted 

 in the old genus Distojnuni having been split up into over eighty 

 new genera. As far as I have been able to ascertain our specimens 

 are not closely related to any of these genera. 



A few specimens of this parasite were found in the flesh of a 

 Mahseer {Barbus tor) caught by Capt. Parker, R.A.M.C, Sanitary 

 Officer, Poona (Bombay Presidency), in April 1910, and were sent 

 by him to the Indian Museum. The specimens were afterwards 

 sent to Dr. Lieper of the Tropical School of Medicine, London, A 

 single mounted specimen was retained in the Indian Museum and 

 this I have examined. It measured 8 mm, in length, and the 

 greatest breadth was 4 mm. It was immature. 



Capt. Parker states that the parasite in the flesh of the 

 Mahseer was surrounded with black pigment, and that the pig- 

 mented area extended to the surface of the skin, thereby suggesting 

 that the parasites had bored their way in. As, however, these 

 worms have no armature, this seems unlikely. Mahseer occur 

 generally throughout India, but are found in greatest abundance, 

 and of largest size, in mountain streams, or in streams which are 

 rocky. 



