STEONGYLUS BRONCHIALIS. 357 



General and Specific Characters.— K moderate-sized nematode helminth, the male 

 measuring rather more than half an inch, whilst the female is upwards of an inch in 

 length ; caudal appendage of the male furnished with a bilobed, membranous, semi-bell- 

 shaped bursa, or accessory organ of copulation, which surrounds the cloacal outlet, the 

 latter concealing an intromittent organ, consisting of a double spiculum; tail of the 

 female sharply pointed, the anal orifice being a little in front or above the narrow part ; 

 body filiform, of a pale yellow colour, -5"o of an inch broad in the male, and 3*5 in the 

 female ; mode of reproduction viviparoiis. 



Concerning this species I have only to repeat the opinions 

 which I enunciated some time ago in my paper communicated to 

 the Zoological Society. 



Diesing and Weinland have expressed their suspicions as to 

 the identity of Filaria bronchialis with Strongylus longevaginatus ; 

 whilst Kiichenmeister has gone further, and pronounced them to 

 be one and the same species. Concurring in this view, I have 

 thought it right to combine the specific title originally given 

 by Rudolphi with the generic allocation employed by Diesing ; and 

 if helminthologists generally adopt our views of their identity, 

 I think they will admit the propriety of the nomenclature here 

 superscribed. 



The original specimens were discovered by Treutler in Germany, 

 during the winter of 1791, in the bronchial glands of an emaciated 

 subject ; whilst those sent to Diesing for description were dis- 

 covered by Dr. Fortsitz at Klausenberg, in Transylvania, in the 

 lungs of a boy six years old. 



The only practical observation which I need offer is to the efiect 

 that this parasite, like the closely-allied species {Strongylus paradoxus) 

 from the pig, and that from the calf {8. micrurus), is undoubtedly 

 capable of causing death by suffocation, at least, when present in any 

 considerable numbers. As to treatment, it is obvious that a powerful 

 expectorant might facilitate the discharge of the worms from the 

 larger bronchial passages, and thus considerably relieve the patient. 

 For some other points connected with the prognosis and prophy- 

 laxis I would invite attention to the observations I have already 

 advanced (in the first part of this work) respecting, more particu- 

 larly, the Sclerostoma syngamus and the Prosthecosacter injiexus. 



