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position. All three pairs of para-suctorial papillae are ventro-laterally placed, the two anterior pairs being 
very stout. Of the five pairs of papillae between the sucker and the cloacal opening, the first and the last 
are small and sessile and sub-ventrally placed, while the other three are long and slender and more laterally 
situated. A little behind the level of the cloacal opening and lateral in position is a pair of large fleshly 
papillae. Slightly medial to these is a pair of minute papillae which are not seen in all specimens. Another 
pair of small subventrally placed papillae is sometimes seen immediately behind the cloacal opening. 
There are two pairs of papillae at the level at which the tail bends ventrally, the larger pair occupying a 
more lateral position. There are three pairs of small papillae which are somewhat clumped together 
sub-ventrally near the tip of the tail. There is also a single dorsal pair near the tip of the tail. 
The spicules are equal and similar and measure 0.74 to 0.96 mm in length, the average of ten 
measurements being 0.837 mm - The spicules, except for the terminal millimetre, appear stout owing to 
the presence of a sheath with a ventral gutter and a tessellated surface. The spicules taper suddenly at 
the terminal portion and end in a blunt point. 
The Female: The female measures 6.52 to 7 mm in length and the maximum width which is at about 
the middle of the body is 0.33 mm. The oesephagus, including the pharynx and bulb, measures 1.14 mm. 
The pharynx is 0.074 mm long and 0.03 mm broad. The oesophageal bulb is 0.2 mm long and 0.17 mm 
broad. The nerve ring and the excretory pore are 0.35 mm and 0.59 mm from the anterior extremity 
respectively. The tail is straight and tapers gradually to a point and is 0.36 mm long. 
The vulva, which in most specimens is provided with a posteriorly-directed flap, opens at a point 
2.7 to 2.9 mm from the anterior end. The vagina, which is 1.9 to 2 mm long, is muscular and runs 
posteriorly in a somewhat zig-zag manner and ends in two uteri which are apparently opposed, being 
parallel to one another only for a distance of about 0.4 mm, after which one branch doubles back upon 
itself and runs in the opposite direction. The eggs are oval and provided with a thick smooth shell and 
measures 0.077 to 0.043 mm. The eggs in the uteri close to the vagina are in an advanced stage of 
segmentation. 
Discussion 
Seven species have been recognised as belonging to the genus Africana Travassos, 1920. 
All the members of this genus seem to be closely allied and the differences in number and 
arrangement of the caudal papillae and the length of the spicules are considered as the main 
features of diagnostic value. 
In A. africana (Genre, 1909) to which the worm described above is most closely allied, 
there are only nineteen caudal papillae and these are sessile and differently arranged. The 
spicules in A. africana are longer and in relation to the length of the entire worm they vary 
from 1/2.8 to 1/5 as compared with 1/6 to 1/7 in this species. In A. africana the pharynx is 
smaller and (3 is 3.8 to 4.3 in the male and 3 to 4.8 in the female as against 5.9 to 6.3 and 5.7 to 
6.1 respectively in this species. Other points of difference are that in the species described 
here the ovaries are not confined to the anterior part of the body, the tail of the male does not 
end in a terminal spike and the eggs in the uteri are in an advanced stage of segmentation. 
From the measurements quoted by Taylor (1924), it can be seen that the relative size of 
the subequal spicules in A. acuticeps (Gedoelst, 1916) and A. brodeni (Gedoelst, 1916) serve to 
differentiate them from this species. The whip-like appearance of the distal half of the spicules 
in A. varani Maplestone, 1931 and the eight longitudinal rows of body papillae in A. hozvardi Li, 
1933 distinguish these species from the others. The number of caudal papillae, the length of 
the spicules and the position of the vulvar opening serve to differentiate A. stylosterni Sandground 
1933. I n A. mabuyae Chakravarty, 1944 the spicules are sickle-shaped and measure only 
0.3 mm in length, the ratio of spicule to body length being 1 115.6. 
The worm described above bears some resemblance to Spinicauda longispiculata Baylis, 
1929 and S. cophotis Baylis, 1935 but, as Baylis (1936) pointed out, in Spinicauda Travassos, 
1920 the lateral fields are conspicuous, the uterine branches are parallel, males are without 
caudal alae, the papillae are small and sessile and an accessory piece is present. These features 
are not seen in this species. In a few specimens, however, there was a suggestion of some 
chitinisation of the cloacal wall which could not be distinguished from the strong muscle 
strands associated with the cloaca and the pre-anal sucker. Digestion of the posterior end of 
STUD. INST. MED. RES. 
