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Classification of the Ascarulae 
4. Ophidascaris mombasica, sp.n. 
Length, female, up to 100 mm. (The only male available is not quite 
complete.) Maximum thickness, male, 1-7 mm.; female, about 2 mm. Cuti- 
cular stnations exceedingly fine. Body thickest in the posterior quarter or 
third of its length; also slightly thickened near the anterior end; the middle 
region slender. Head up to about 0-45 mm. in diameter. Lips (Fig. 3) large, 
rather broader than long. Dorsal lip with two simple papillae, placed near the 
anterior margin. Ventro-lateral lips each with a lozenge-shaped papilla, with 
double termination, towards the ventral side, and a small, simple papilla 
towards the dorsal side, the latter nearly marginal. Interlabia massive, about 
half the length of the lips. Grooves at bases of lips well-developed. Denti¬ 
gerous ridges marginal, with large teeth, and with an indentation in the middle 
anteriorly. Oesophagus about 3 mm. long. Tail of male 0-25 mm. long, with 
a very short terminal spike. Spicules blunt at the tip, measuring 3-7 mm. in 
length, and, with the alae, 0-09 mm. in width. Postanal caudal papillae five 
Fig. 3. Ophidascaris mombasica. The head; dorsal view. 
pairs, of which four pairs form a group near the tip of the tail, two being large 
and lateral, two smaller and ventral. The papillae of the posterior ventral pair 
have double terminations. The fifth pair, which are widely separated from the 
rest, and lie near the corners of the cloacal aperture, are also double papillae, 
but not of very large size. Preanal papillae about 35 pairs, the intervals between 
them gradually becoming longer anteriorly. Tail of female very short (0*2 mm.) 
and blunt. Vulva situated at about the beginning of the posterior quarter of 
the body. Vagina runs forward a little, then doubles back, widening gradually 
into the uterus, which has two very wide branches running back almost to the 
tail. The coils of the ovarian tubes extend forward to a point a short distance 
in front of the vulva, and backward nearly to the posterior end of the body. 
Ova roundish-oval, measuring 0-0875-0*1 mm. x 0-07-0-0825 mm. 
Host: Psammophis subtaeniatus. 
Locality: Mombasa. 
The following forms probably also belong to this genus: < 
