Brachylecithum microtesticulatum Timon-David, 1955 (Digenea: Dicrocoeliidae) is recorded for the first time in the Black Sea region. The morphology and variability of the digeneans recovered from Larus argentatus in Bulgaria and the Ukraine are described and compared with the redescription of the species (Bartoli and Mas-Coma 1989). Lyperosomum lari Travassos, 1917 of Smogorzhevskaya (1976) is considered a synonym of B. microtesticulatum.
The morphology of two Salvelinema Trofimenko, 1962 species, S. salmonicola (Ishii, 1916) and S. walkeri (F.kbaum, 1935), swimbladder nematodes of salmonids, was studied in detail, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), on the basis of newly collected materials from Oncorhynchus masou, О. mykiss and Salvelinus malma from Japan and from Oncorhynchus ciarki, О. kisulch and O. nerka from North America (Vancouver Island, B.C., Canada and Gulf of Alaska). Both nematode species proved to be morphologically very similar, differing substantially in the numbers and arrangements of egg filaments. Deirids were described for the first time for Salvelinema. Salvelinema iwana (Fujita, 1928), S. amemasu (Fujita, 1939), S. kosugii (Fujita, 1939), S. oncorhynchi (Fujita, 1939) and S. salvelini (Fujita, 1939) (= S. ishii (Fujita, 1941)) were synonymised with S. salmonicola. Comephoronema Layman, 1933 is re-erected as a valid genus related to Salvelinema.
Two Stomylotrema Looss, 1900 species were found in storks and grebes in Cuba. Five specimens of Stomylotrema bijugum Braun, 1901 were recovered from the roseate spoonbill, Ajaia ajaja (Allen, 1942) (Ciconiiformes) while six Stomylotrema vicarium Braun, 1901 were found in the little blue heron, Egretta (syn. Florida) caerulea (L.) (Ciconiiformes) and the least grebe Podiceps dominicus dominicus (I,.) (Podicipediformes). The taxa represent new host and geographical records. The problem of morphological variation within the genus Stomylotrema is briefly analysed in the discussion.
Human material of an African specimen of Bertiella studeri (Blanchard, 1891 ), a typical intestinal ceslode of monkeys, is described. Mature, postmaturc and gravid proglottides, and eggs, previously inadequately figured, are illustrated and photographed. The description of the species agrees with that provided by Stunkard (1940). A comparative study with other descriptions of the species is made in an attempt to clarify previous findings. The morphological differences reported in various earlier descriptions of the species suggest that B. studeri should be regarded as a “B. studeri species complex”. Improvements are required in the descriptions of new future findings in order to clarify the specific diagnosis of human bertiellosis. Evidence suggests that a generalised diagnosis exclusively based on egg size and geographical distribution is insufficient to differentiate B. studeri and Bertiella mucronata (Meyner, 1895), or additional species may be affecting humans.
Adult females of Strongyloides robustus Chandler, 1942, a parasite of sciurids in North America, were found in the duodenal mucosa of 30 of 32 red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus (Erxleben)) collected in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. The parasitic female is illustrated and redescribed; characteristics include: body 3.8-8.0 mm long, cephalic extremity with X-shaped mouth and 8 circumoral lobes, ovaries spiralling around intestine, and tail bluntly rounded. Eggs in fresh feces contained tadpole-stage larvae. In fecal cultures, eggs hatched and larvae invariably developed to the filariform infective third stage; i.e. a free-living generation did not occur and is probably absent in S. robustus in Cape Breton and possibly other parts of North America. It is hypothesized that homogonically developing S. robustus might be more fecund or more efficiently transmitted than species of Strongyloides that exhibit both homogonic and heterogonic development. Larvae of S. robustus in fecal cultures, i.e. homogonic larvae, are described in detail. Intestinal walls of second- and third-stage larvae, as well as the lateral chords of young third-stage larvae, contained numerous round bodies, likely nutrient stores. Third-stage larvae were present within 2 days in cultures maintained at 30°C, 4 days at 20°C, and 7 days at 15°C. They lived for at least 33 and 30 days at 15° and 20"C, respectively. Third-stage larvae probably die when their nutrient stores are exhausted.
From May 1993 to April 1995, the seasonal occurrence of metacestodes of Neogryporhynchus cheilancristrotus (Wedl, 1855) (Cyclophyllidea: Dilepididae) in its second intermediate host, the blue bream Abramis ballerus (L.) was studied monthly in the Oder River on the borders of Germany and Poland. Based on the parasite specimens found, detailed data on their morphometries are presented. The metacestodes occurred in the blue bream intestine throughout the year (overall prevalence 27% and intensity 1-56 (mean 4.8) metacestodes per infected fish). Increased prevalences and mean intensities of infection were noted from March to June and November to December indicating that spring, late autumn and early winter are the main periods of new infections.
The various physical handicaps pertain inseparably to the image of mankind. However, the handicappedpersons always have aroused the notice of others and their presence in the society provoked various reactions for part of the majority of the not handicapped. So this theme was introduced also into the folklore. For the closer scrutiny of this phenomenon was chosen the topic of the Scythe-Handed Woman-a girl with cut-offhands, and its penetration into fairy-tales. As a point of departure the Inventory of Czech Fairy-Tales by Václav Tille was used. The frame of the story of this fairy-tale is based on the clash of the powers of the good and the evil, with the final victory of the good, which can be interpreted also as an essence of the basic human desires. The main theme is being presented in eight versions. The plot unfolds in four basic stages (except for one version with three stages only): (1) in the exposition the main protagonist of the evil is introduced: widowed father or miserly father, widowed mother or step-mother; and also the victim of the evil: daughter or step-daughter. (2) The daughter is being exposed to thefirst attack of the evil, and this leads into cutting-off of one or both ofher hands. (3) The girl saves herself she has her own family, but the evil attacks her again through the accusation that she gave birth to a monster (monsters). (4) The young mother with her child (children) escapes from the immediate threat to their lives, in this final stage she cures herself and meets her husband. The same theme has also the foreign version appendedfor comparison. The motive of the loss or mutilation of hands characterizes not only the fairy-tale of Scythe-Handed Woman but appears also, for example, as a sign of disability to reign, see the mentioned Irish example. There is also mentioned the connexion with the sympathetic magie: Čenìk Zibrt observed its manifestations in our country already at the end of the nineteenth century. The causes of evil root in three negative human features: the incest yearnings of father, the jealousy of mother or step-mother and the insaturable miserness of father. The evil attacks twice, but it doesn't win even after artful accusation of the main protagonist. Its goal was to lower the handicapped women together with her child (children) to the level of the beast and then to destroy them completely. To remedy the consequences of the evil some curing ingredient (water) or some person gifted through some higher power must cooperate so that the young woman could recuperate her physical integrity. On the side of good also concrete persons operate, among them in the most of the cases father-in-law or mother-in-law. Th and e social aspect of the normal state is being restored through the reconstitution of the new family. The representants of the evil are punished, but they can be also pardoned. As a general message of the fairy-tale of Scythe-Handed Woman we can consider two imperatives: mother should at all costs save her own child and at the same time she should find the way to secure the basic life necessities. The specific message is the fact thatfor handicapped persons suffering from Health defects their personal misery appeals for its overcoming. The fairy-tale of Scythe-Handed Womanis in this sense mediates a in-destructable hope to those who suffer. In this interpretation the acting characters are not archetypical abstractions but personalities that reflect the reality of human life.