440 TREMATODES OF THE NORTHUMBERLAND COAST 



Tretnatodes of the Northtunberland Coast, No. III. — A 

 Preliminary Note on Echinostephilla virgula, a new 

 Trematode in the Turnstone. By Marie V. Lebour, 

 M.Sc, Assistant Demonstrator in Zoology, Leeds 

 University. 



(With Plate XI.) 



The following is a brief account of an apparently new 

 Trematode from the intestine of the Turnstone Arenaria 

 interpres. The birds were shot at Beadnell on the Northum- 

 berland coast, where they are winter visitants. Their stomachs 

 usually contain small marine Crustacea (chiefly Isopoda), 

 insect larvse, and Mollusca ( Llttorlna rudls, Pahidestrlna 

 stagnalls, etc.). A dozen birds were examined at different 

 times, three of which contained the Trematode about to be 

 described. Not more than two specimens occurred in each 

 bird, and some were dead and in a bad condition for examina- 

 tion. 



This was by no means the only worm parasite in the 

 intestine of the Turnstone, for numerous Cestodes were 

 present, and three other Trematodes were found, including 

 Echmostomnm leptosonnun Creplin, and Monostovmm petasatuni 

 Desl., the latter in the intestinal coeca. 



This new Trematode is found from about the middle of the 

 intestine to near the terminal part, and is usually associated 

 with Cestodes, from which at first sight it is with difficulty 

 distinguished, as it has the same peculiar opaque, cream-white 

 appearance. The live specimens were killed with corrosive 

 sublimate and preserved in alcohol, afterwards being examined 

 in oil of cloves as pressure preparations. In this way the 

 details of the female reproductive system could not be exactly 

 made out, but enough of the structure of the worm was seen 

 to show that it is almost certainly a new genus and species, 

 and for it I propose the name Echinostephilla virgula. 



The worm is long and narrow, and, when living, almost 

 invariably curved up at the posterior end and looking much 



