Notes on Tetrameres — Kartman 
2X5 
TABLE 4 
Development of Tetrameres sp. in Oxya chinensis and Conocephalus saltator 
LARVAL 
STAGE 
NO. 
LARVAE 
MEASURED 
LENGTH IN ^ 
WIDTH IN fx 
MEAN LENGTH IN fx 
Min. 
Max. 
Mean 
Min. 
Max. 
Mean 
Esophagus 
Tail 
1 
18 
196 
375 
266.6 
16 
32 
21.0 
126.4 
48.3 
2 
5 
388 
555 
473.6 
28 
37 
33.0 
170.4 
70.8 
pre- post- 
3 
7 
740 
891 
830.1 
40 
45 
42.0 
133.5 169.4 
105.5 
found loosely encysted along the dorsal body 
wall of the grasshopper in the oenocytes and 
very rarely in muscle tissue. By shaking these 
tissues in saline, the larvae could be easily re- 
moved. Infective larvae were observed in a 
minimum of 21 days after embryonated eggs 
had been fed to a grasshopper. Development 
took place equally well in both species of 
grasshoppers. Data on development of the 
larvae are given in Table 4. 
Attempts to transmit the sparrow Tetra- 
meres to young chicks proved negative in all 
of 11 trials. The age of the parasites in the 
grasshopper hosts varied from 45 to 60 days, 
and the period allowed for development in 
the chicks was from 30 to 75 days. The para- 
sites in the grasshoppers were checked for 
larval stage and viability before they were fed 
to the chicks; thus it would appear that this 
parasite is probably not infective to young 
chicks. 
SUMMARY 
1. An apparently new species of Tetrameres 
has been found to parasitize English spar- 
rows in Hawaii. 
2. Adult male and female parasites were 
found invading the proventricular glands 
of sparrows throughout the year. 
3. No more than one female per gland and 
from zero to four males with an average of 
1.4 per gland were found in the proven- 
triculus. This parasite, unlike other de- 
scribed Tetrameres, eventually protrudes 
from the outer stomach wall after invasion 
of a gland and growth within it. 
4. The grasshoppers Oxya chinensis and Cono- 
cephalus saltator may serve as experimental 
intermediate hosts of the parasite, which 
reached the third larval stage in these hosts 
in a minimum of 21 days at room temper- 
ature. 
5. Attempts to infect young chicks with 
third stage larvae of the sparrow Tetra- 
meres failed in 11 trials. 
REFERENCES 
Cram, E. B., 1927. Bird parasites of the 
nematode suborders Strongylata, Ascari- 
data, and Spirurata. U. S. Natl. Mus. Bui. 
140. 
1931. Developmental stages of some 
nematodes of the Spiruroidea parasitic in 
poultry and gamebirds. JJ. S. Dept. Agr. 
Tech. Bui. 227. 
