Dr. Murai Éva szerk.: Parasitologia Hungarica 12. (Budapest, 1979)

Systematic position of species described under the name C. indicum, recovered in countries outside of East India (DINNIK^et al. 19 63, Uganda; DROZDZ and MALCZEWSKÏ, 1967, Vietnam; KOTR LA and PROKOPIC, 1973, Cuba) is questionable and their re-examination is desirable. Paramphistomum gracile Fischoeder, 1901 In their paper STILES and GOLDBERGER (1910) described another species, Param phistomum indicum from Indian ruminants. In the diagnosis it was mentioned that it shows a close resemblance to P. gracile and they listed some anatomical features (length of oesophagus, position of reproductive organs, pore of Laurer' s canal) by which P. gracile and P. indicum can be differentiated. These features, however, are subject to more or less individual variations, depending on the circumstances of the prefixative treatment. I think NASMARK (1937) was right in that he regarded P. indicum to be a synonym of P. gracile. Before this P. indicum was lumped by MAPLESTONE (1923), together with other species into synonyms of P. cervi. It seems to be probable that the acceptance of MAPLESTONE's opinion by Indian helminthologists (BHALERAO, 1935, THAPAR, 1956, MUKHERJEE and C HAU HAN, 19 65) was the reason of the generally accepted belief that P. cervi is a widely distributed species in India. Recently, however, MUKHERJEE and CHAUHAN (1972) were of the opinion that P

. cervi is not so common, if at all found, as other authors described it. After histo-morphological examination of both the numerous samples collected by the author and samples presented by Indian authorities (MATHURA, IZATNAGAR, LUTHIANA), labelled as P. cervi proved to be either P. epiclitum (Fig. 5) or in majority P. gracile (Fig. 6) and P. cervi were not found in either of the samples. Otherwise, P. cervi is easily distinguishable from the former two species in question by the structure of their pharynx. P. epiclitum and P. gracile have a pharynx of Paramphistomum; P. cervi of the Liorchis type. Agreeing with MUKEHRJEE and CHAUHAN (1972) the author is of the opinion that _P. cervi is a very rare species or, what seems a more feasible answer to the problem, it is not found in India. Paramphistomum ichikawai of GUPTA and NAKHASI (1977) should also be considered as a synonym of P. gracile because their characteristic features (structure of the genital atrium, and acetabulum) were not observed either on the slide (single, immature median sagittal sections) examined by the author or in figures attached to the text of the paper. P. ichi kawai has a genital atrium of Ichikawai type which is characteristic only of its own. In the d. e. 2 muscle layer of its acetabulum there are 6-18 muscle units, loosly situated and both their arrangement and number are fairly constant (SEY, 1974). In GUPTA' s preparation the number of muscle units was 29. P. epiclitum and P. gracile are species with a close resemblance both in grossmorphology and anatomical features. Pharynx and acetabulum of both of them are the same types without a specific structure. The most .important differences can be found in the structure of the genital opening. It is Epiclitum in P. epiclitum (Fig. 5) and Gracile in P. gracile (Fig. 6). According to NASMARK (1937) the latter is characterized by the absence of both radial and circular musculature. Having examined several slides of some other species (P. cervi, P. gotoi) with this type of genital opening, it.was found that weakly developed radial muscle elements, however, occurred and what is more, these muscle elements were also found in slide of P. cervi deposited in NÄSMARK' s (1937) coHection (Fig. 7). Therefore the differences between these two types of genital openings are rather the bigger size of the genital opening of P. epiclitum, more strongly developed longitudinal muscles and the better developed pars prostatica, as opposed to the genital opening of the Gracile type, than the presence or absence of radial musculature in the latter type. P. gracile, otherwise, was described for the first time by FISCHOEDER in 1901 from a coUection derived from Ceylon. Orthocoelium giganthopharynx (Schad, Kuntz, Anteson et Webster, 1964) TANDON (1955) described Paramphistomum gotoi Fukui, 1922 as a common parasite of buUafo in Lucknow. SCHAD et al. (1964) examined amphistomes of domesticated ruminants in North Borneo and they convincingly pointed out that P. gotoi of TANDON (1955 ) is identical with O. giganthopharynx. An examination of TANDON' s original slides of "P. gotoi"