PARASITES OF ELEPHANTS. 221 



cephalad of the bursa, the female tapeis caiidad to a fine point. 

 The head is discoid in shape. Tiie oral aperture is bounded by 

 two sliglitly marked lateral lips, each carrying a sessile lateral 

 and two prominent submedian papillae. The oral capsule is 

 roughly cylindrical, and circular in cross section, while the wall 

 varies in shape in different parts. Since this is thicker caudad 

 and thinner cephalad on its dorsal and ventral than on its lateral 

 aspects, its cavity is, at its cephalad end, wider dorso-ventrad than 

 laterodaterad. The cuticle bounding the mouth cavity is applied 

 to the mouth capsule only over its caudad portion. Along a cir- 

 cumferent^al line, which is further cephalad on the dorsal and 

 ventral than on the lateral walls, the cuticle turns axo-cephalad 

 and splits into rays having a similar direction ; and since further 

 these rays are shorter dovsally and ventrally than latei-ally, the 

 result is that their points which form the boundary of the oral 

 aperture, do not describe a circle but produce a dorso-ventral slit. 

 The oesophagus is fairly short, widening caudad of the nerve- 

 collar. Its caudal end is guarded by three intestinal valves. The 

 boundaries of the cells of the chyle intestine are more marked 

 than usual. The cephalic and the cervical glands are large and 

 well developed. The lateral cervical papillae are long, slender, 

 and project somewhat cephalad. 



" The male expands ventrad just cephalad of the bursa. The 

 number of bursal rays is as usual. The externo-dorsal rays lie 

 close to the lateral rays. The doi'sal ray is deeply cleft in the 

 mid-line, and ea.ch half is composed of three subdivisions. There 

 nppear to be no pre-bursal papillae. The spicules are equal and 

 similar, and the head of each is bent like the head of a golf- 

 driver, while the shaft may be straight or may be bent near the 

 point. There is a colourless thickening of the cuticle in the 

 position of the accessory piece, which is S-shaped in lateral optical 

 section. The other male organs are as usual. 



" The female has a long and pointed tail, the vulva lying shortly 

 cephalad of the anus. The vagina runs cephalad and divides into 

 two uteri, which have the same direction, are provided with 

 ovejectors, run parallel Avith one another, and end abruptly in the 

 two cephalad-running ovai^es." 



I may add to this that an accessory piece is present, and 

 although the male is broad just above the bursa, this is not 

 always the greatest diameter of the body. 



Type-species, Murshidia murshida. 



Mtjrshidia murshida Lane, 1914. 



This nematode has the general characteristics of the genus. 

 The external leaf-crown consists of sixty leaflets. The vulva has 

 a cuticular prominence both cephalad and caudad of it. (For 

 measui'ements vide Table I., p. 228.) The latei'al and dorsal rays 

 of the bursa have a rugged outline and a bulbous origin. 



Habitat. C?ecum of Indian elephant (India). 

 Proc. ZooL. Soo.— 1922, No. XYI. 16 



