By feeding infected flesh to experimental animals, and examining the stomach contents of the latter at varying periods after feeding, various workers have shown that Trichinella larvae are released from their cysts within one or two hours after reaching the stomach of the experimental host. (Bugge, 1934, Heller, 1933, 1934, Kreis, 1937.) The actual release of the larvae from the cysts has not been followed, though Kreis (1937) on the basis of the appearance of stained cysts recovered a short time after ingestion, suggests that the larvae are released not only by the action of the gastric juice of the host, but also as a result of secretory activity by the larvae themselves within the cysts.

Although it may be objected that the present paper deals with a limited population in a circumscribed area, the conclusions drawn are in the main applicable to any zone of endemic Bilharzial infestation. The numbers examined form a considerable series, and the distribution and age and seasonal incidence of the contrasting infections are of some interest. A personal relation with those infected has been, and still is, maintained.

“Tulip-Root” in oats caused by the stem eelworm, Anguillulina dipsaci, is of widespread occurrence in Great Britain, annually effecting much damage to oat crops which results in diminished yields of grain. At this Institute the disease has been under investigation for some years and during the seasons 1935, '36 and '37 tests have been carried out on the susceptibility to it of a number of different oat varieties. An outcome of some practical importance has resulted from this work in that it has been found that two varieties of winter oats have, for three seasons, proved resistant to attack though grown under the same conditions and subject to the same risk of invasion by the parasite as other varieties which have proved susceptible to attack. These two varieties have consistently manifested no symptoms of disease during the three seasons and on microscopic examination have been found to harbour very few examples of the parasite whereas susceptible varieties have shown the characteristic symptoms of disease in stunted growth, greatly swollen discoloured leafbases and their tissues have harboured large numbers of the parasite. The purpose of the present paper is to put these facts on record and to give some account of the investigations out of which they have arisen.

During the past two or three years the writer has had an opportunity of making observations on certain plants which are new hosts of the stem eelworm, Anguillulina dipsaci. In the present paper four such plants are dealt with, three of which are cultivated garden plants and one a common weed. Of the garden plants, one is a useful food plant, namely the parsnip (Pastinaca sativa L.) and the other two are Primulas, namely Primula pulverulenta Duthie and P. polyantha Mill, (polyanthus primrose). The weed is swine-cress or wart-cress (Coronopus Ruellii All., syn. Senebeira Coronopus Poir.)

In Britain, the year 1937 is likely to be memorable in the history of cultivation of many species and varieties of plants belonging to the genus Primula, as witnessing, for the first time, attacks of great severity by the nematode, Anguillulina dipsaci in a number of plantations of Primulas, reducing the vitality of the plants wherever it occurred, and in many instances causing complete destruction of certain species. The plants classed as members of the Candelabra Section, which includes some of the finest and most extensively grown species and varieties in the whole genus, proved particularly susceptible but, while members of many of the other Sections of Primulas did not escape attack, the injury inflicted was not usually of such high order of severity.

The nematode genus Stephanofilaria was created to accommodate the species S. dedoesi Ihle and Ihle-Landenberg, 1933, which was found in association with a disease in cattle named “Cascado” in the Dutch East Indies. Two further species have since been described, namely, S. stilesi Chitwood, 1934, from skin lesions in cattle in the United States and S. assamensis Pande, 1936, from “Hump Sore” in cattle in Assam. The disease and its relation to the nematode has been studied in each case by Bubberman and Kranefeld (1933) in the Dutch East Indies, by Dikmans (1934) in the United States and by Pande (1935) in Assam, and the results of their studies leave little doubt as to the authenticity of Stephanofilariasis as an important skin disease in cattle.

While examining diseased sugar beet roots at the Brigg Factory of the British Sugar Corporation, Ltd., in 1936, several roots were found which were affected by the eelworm Anguillulina dipsaci (Kühn). This identification was kindly confirmed by Dr. T. Goodey.

Pages 145–152, for “Toxacara” read “Toxocara.”