214 DR. M. KHALIL ON THE NEMATODE 



The two species of Leifperenla (lifter mainly in the length of the 

 spicules and accessory piece, and particularly in the shape of the 

 female tail, which is very long and narrow in L. leiperi and 

 stumpy and broad in L. galehi. 



Some of the genera included in the family Atractidse a,re 

 credited with the ability of reproduction and maturation in the 

 same host. They are found in tremendous numbers in the host. 



Super-family Ascaboidea Raill. k Henry, 1915. 



Family A s c A R I D .-E Cobbold, 1864. 



Sub-family Ascarin.e Travassos, 1913. 



Genus Belascaris Leiper, 1907. 



Belascaris lonchoptera (Diesing, 1851) Leiper, 1911. 



Strongylus eleplianti Rud., 1819. 



Ascaris lonchoptera Diesing, 1851. 



Belascaris lonchoptera Leiper, 1911 (unpublished notes). 



This was the first Helminth parasite recorded from the elephant. 

 It was listed by Rudolphi in his 'Synopsis Entozoorum ' under 

 doubtful strongyles. The specimens were collected from the bile- 

 ducts of an Indian elephant and deposited in the Museum of 

 Vienna. 



In 1847, Jackson recorded in the ' Descriptive Catalogue of 

 Boston IMedical Improvement Society ' the presence of Ascarid^e 

 and Flukes in the Indian elephant. 



In 1851, Diesing described the doubtful specimens of Rudolphi, 

 and found them to be female Ascaridse and not Strongyles. He 

 named them Ascaris lonchoptera. He also referred to the 

 Ascaridifi of the Boston Catalogue as the same species. 



In 1882, Cobbold expressed a doubt if such an illustrious man 

 as Rudolphi would have mistaken an Ascaris for a Strongyle. 

 In the same year Drasche redescribed and figui-ed A, lonchoptera 

 from the Vienna collection, and left no doubt as to its Ascarid 

 natui'e, thus confirming Diesing's observations. 



Leiper, in unpublished notes to which I have had access, records 

 the resvdts of his examination of the same specimens in the 

 Vienna Museum, and concluded that they belonged to the genus 

 Belascaris (Leiper, 1907). 



Although a good deal of attention has been paid lately to the 

 elephant parasites, especially in India, no Ascaridas have been 

 reported. So far, the male of Belascaris lonchoptera remains 

 undescribed. 



Habitat. Bile-ducts of the Indian elephant. 



