WORMS FllOM MAMMALS AND BIRDS. 



493 



doubt that we li.-ive both dealt with the same foi-m. F. iiiart'is 

 is very imperfecttly known, and until new material is described 

 the relationship between the two species must remain doubtful ; 

 there are certain cliaracters, e. g.^ the position of the vulva, which 

 in our present state of knowledge it is impossible to reconcile. 



Hall has pointed out that v. Linstow's specific name is a 

 homonym of F. sahcutama Parona, 1894. I have followed his 

 example and refrained from renaming the species until its proper 

 relationship with Filaria martis is ascertained. 



My material w^as obtained from the same animal as the micro- 

 filaria recorded by Plimmer (191 5) in his annual report on the 

 blood-parasites ; Hall is therefore right in assuming that this 

 larval stage is to be referred to F. suhcutanea v. Linst. 



Text-figure 2. 



Filaria suhcutanea v. Linst. 

 Posterior extremity of mak^ lateral view. X 225. 

 postanal papilla; yr., preanal papilla; sp., short spicule; s}>i., long s]ncule. 



^Specific diagnosis. — Filaria : Body filiforn], moie attenuated 

 posteriorly than anteriorly, both extremities rounded. 



Cuticle appears smooth except under very high magnifications, 

 when a fine transverse striation is apparent. 



Head-papilla? very small, four submedian papilla? present, 

 lateral papillae not noted. 



CEsophagus simple, i. e. not divided into anteiior and posterior 

 regions, and short. 



2[ale 48-56 mm. long, witli a maximum thickness of about 

 0*45 mm. CEsophagus 1-2-1 '4 mm. in length. 



The posterior end of the body is coiled in a loose spiral and 

 provided with cuticular al?e at its extremity. Cloaca 0'07 mm. 

 from the posterior extremity. There seem to be nine pairs of 

 papilla?, of which four are pi-eanal and five postanal. The papillae 



