118 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY [ III, I

tail. It leads into a long vagina measuring 6.7—17.3 in length. It is followed
by long, coiled, tubular portion, the sphincter. This latter leads into a long duct
which opens into a uterus having an anterior and a posterior limb. The former
extends up to a small distance from the posterior end of the œsophagus and the
latter ends at a short distance in front of the anus. The ovary is a long tube
leading into the receptaculum seminis which joins the uterus. The eggs are oval
in shape with a thick shell measuring 0.003 and containing a fully developed
embryo when laid. They measure 0.048—0.06 × 0.027 ×0.036.

Yorke and Maplestone [1926] have included only ten valid species in the
genus Gongylonema, seven others having been shown as synonyms of G. pulchrum
by Baylis [1925]. Subsequently to this Baylis [1926] added G. monnigi and
Lubimov [1931] added G. macrogubernaculum. Out of these only one species,
G. ingluvicola, has been recorded from birds up to the present time and this has
been obtained from the domestic fowl. The present species is the second member
of the genus Gongylonema recovered from the domestic fowl and also the second of
the bird parasites of this genus. It has got some affinities with the species
G. ingluvicola, but it varies from it in the following respects :—

(1)  The arrangement of the cuticular bosses at the anterior end of the
male is different.

(2)  The left spicule is much shorter than in the species G. ingluvicola ;
its proportion to the entire body length being 1: 1.7—1: 1.8 and
not almost 1 : 1 as in the species G. ingluvicola.

(3)  Cram [1927] does not make any mention of the gubernaculum in
G. ingluvicola, whereas in the present species it is a well defined
structure. Ransom's [1904] original description was not accessible
to me.

(4)  A " large plate-like shield " around the excretory pore is absent.

These points being sufficient to justify the creation of a new species I propose
the name G. sumani for it.

Specific diagnosis.—Gongylonema : Cervical alæ small an 1 narrow. Excretory
pore not surrounded by shield-like plate. The arrangement of bosses varies in the
two sexes.

Male.—Length 18.3—21.6, thickness 0.21—0.29. Cuticular bosses extend to
0.6—0.67 from the anterior end. Left spicule 10.6—12 long, right spicule alate,
0.13—0.145 long. Gubernaculum 0.12—0.13 long.

Female.—Length 24.9—56.5, thickness 0.25—5. Cuticular bosses extend
to 0.93 to 1.24 from the anterior end. Vulva 2.9—4 and anus 0.165—0.35 from
the tip of tail. Eggs measure 0.48—0.06 × 0.027—0.036. Egg shell 0.003 thick.