39 
scarcely be established at present. Whatever these characters ma}^ 
be, the genus Dracun cuius is so distinct from the other forms that it 
ma}^ well be taken as representative of a special subfamily. 
( 
KEY TO TWO SUBFAMILIES OF FILARIID^. 
Vulva usually anterior, near mouth; spicules usually quite dissimilar. (p. 40) 
Vulva absent in gravid stage, the female genital organs discharging through the 
mouth; male unknown Dracunculiinse (p. 39) 
Subfamily DRACUNCULIIN^, new subfamily. 
This subfamih" is erected for the Guinea worm, Zlracunculus 
medinensis^ frequently called Filaria medinensis. The absence of a 
vulva in the adult stage is such a major character that this alone suf- 
fices to separate the worm from the true Filavia. 
The generic and specific s^monyni}" are as follows: 
G-eiaias 30RACTJIVCXJLTJS KnipliofT, IToO. 
1689: Dracunculus Cunelius, 1689a, 395-428; Pre-Linnsean. 
1712: Dracunculus Ksempfer, 1712, 524-531; Pre-Linnsean. 
1759: Dracunculus Kniphoff (1759), 12 (monotypical, medinensis) [not Dracunculus 
Wiegm., 1834, reptile; not Dracunculus fish, see Kroyer, 1838-40a, 422, syn. 
of Callionyrnus lyrai]. — Diesing, 1861a, 695-698 (includes j^ersarum [=medi- 
nensisl, oculi, sethiopicus) . — Gallandat, 1773a, 103-116 (m. medinensis). 
1773: Vena Gallandat, 1773a, 103-116 (m. medinensis). 
1792: Xervus Laporte, 1792b, 531 (m. medinensis). 
1896: Dracuncuus Moniez, 1896, 317, misprint. 
1896: Drakunkulus Schneidemuehl, 1896, 306, for Dracuncidus. 
1905: Draconculus Penel, 1905, 67, misprint. 
The t3"pe of this genus is the Guinea worm, also known as the 
Medina worm. Nearly all articles, both in medical and in zoological 
literature, which refer to Dracuncidus deal with this parasite. 
The Medina Worm— DRACUNCULUS MEDINENSIS fLinnsens, 1758) Gallandat 1773. 
1674: Dracunculus veterum X Q\s,ch (1674); Pre-Linnyean. 
1674: Velsch (1674) ; Pre-Linnyean. 
1689: Dracunculus Cunelius, 1689a, 395-428, and of most authors; Pre-Linnsean. 
1694: Dracuncidus persarum 1694a; 1712,524-535; Pre-Linnaean. 
1740: Vena medina Grundler, 1740a, 329-330; Pre-Linnsean. 
1758: Gordius medinensis Linnaeus, 1758a, 647 (includes Vena medinensis and Dracun- 
culus per sarum)-, in Homo; India. 
1760: Dracuncidus veterum Pallas, 1760. 
1773: Vena medinensis (Linnaeus, 1758) Gallandat, 1773a, 103-116 [not of Larrey. 1812 
(teste Blanchard, 1899e, 506)]. 
1773: Dracuncidus medinensis (Linnaeus, 1758) Gallandat, 1773a, 103-116. 
1777 : Dracunculus grsecorum Gruner, 1777a, 257-264. 
1781: Dracunculus persaruni Fuchs, 1781a, 40 pp. 
1790: Filaria medinensis (Linnaeus, 1758) Gmelin, 1790a, 3039. 
1795: Furia medinensis (Linnaeus, 1758) Modeer, 1795, 143-167. 
