182 



be split up (as has been done) into various subgenera, 

 now generally regarded as genera, the members of the sub- 

 genus (or genus, sensu stricto) Filaria, should possess a 

 similar cuticle to F. mart is. F. reticulata, F. volvulus and 

 h\ gibsoni, could not accordingly be included. Diesing's 

 generic name (Onchocerca) with F. reticulata as type is 

 still available, but his generic diagnosis in view of Pader's 

 work, would need to be corrected in that the males possess 

 two unequal spicules. F. gibsoni and F. volvulus, Leuckt., 

 would come under the genus amended as suggested. 



It may not be out of place to recall the resemblance 

 between the subcutaneous tumours produced in human 

 beings by O. volvulus, to those caused by O. reticulata in 

 horses, 1 and especially to those produced by O. gibsoni ia 

 cattle, and also to the worm tumours in camels. Besides 

 this, the three parasites are very closely allied. The 

 cuticular ornamentation is similar in all of them. Some 

 excellent figures of O. volvulus are given by Fiilleborn 2 and 

 reproduced in an article on human fllariae by Fiilleborn and 

 Rodenwaldt. 3 The arrangement of the perianal and post- 

 anal papillae is seen to be different from O. gibsoni. Parsons 4 

 has recently shown that the number and position of the 

 papillae are different to those given by Fiilleborn and very 

 closely resemble those found in O. gibsoni. The shape of 

 the spicules in these parasites is very similar. Our speci- 

 mens were prepared according to the method advocated by 

 Looss, and by Leiper. Type slides have been presented to 

 the Australian Museum, Sydney, co-types being retained 



' Pader, I.e., p. 80. 



* Fiilleborn, P., Beiheft 7, zurn Arch. f. Schiffs u. Tropenhygiene, xn, 

 1908, p. 15 etc. 



* Fiilleborn, F. and Rodenwaldt, E., " Filarien" in Real-Encyclopiidie 

 der gesamten Heilkunde, Aufl. 4, p. 81 etc. 



; Parsons, I.e., p. 364-366. 



* Leiper, Wellcome Research Labs., Khartoum, 3rd Rept,, 1909, p. 187. 



