128 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



conical or pointed, and the genital orifice is placed in advance 

 of the middle of the body, or more rarely toward the pos- 

 terior end. 



The Strongylus of Sheep {Strongylus filaria Rud.). 

 Figure 80. 



The present species is whitish, very long and slender. Th 

 head is obtuse and without appendages, the mouth surrounded 

 by three small papillae. The caudal pouch of Figure so. 

 the male is entire, with ten rays (Figure 80). 

 The male is about two and a half inches long, 

 and the female three and a half, though gener- 

 ally not more than two or three inches long, the 

 interior of the body of the female is mostly oc- 

 cupied by two long convoluted uterine tubes, 

 containing eggs in which the embryos are in all 

 stages of development. These open at an 

 orifice situated at about one-third of the length 

 of the body from the head. 



Habits. 



This species lives in the lungs, air-passages, 

 and bronchial tubes of sheep and other rumi- 

 nants. They often occur, singly or several to- 

 gether, in cavities in the substance of the lungs, 

 producing great inflammation and destruction 

 of the tissue, which often results in the death of 

 great numbers of lambs, and greatly injures the 

 health of old sheep, even if it does not actually 

 kill them. In this way many thousands of 

 lambs are annually lost in certain districts in 

 England. In this country we have far less in- 

 formation concerning the extent of its ravages, 

 but have no reason to suppose that it is less 

 common than in Europe, in localities that are favorable for its 

 development. Sheep infested by this parasite continually 

 cough up the eggs and embryos of the worms, and either dis- 

 charge them directly from the nose or mouth, or swallow them 



Figure 80. Strongylus filar ia, male, enlarged. From Thudichura. 



