Family. Echinostomidæ, Looss, 1902.
More or less elongated flukes, small or very large, much flattened anteriorly, less so posteriorly, or even round. Suckers near one another, the anterior small and weak, the posterior large and powerful directed obliquely backwards. Surrounding the oral sucker dorsally and laterally but not ventrally is a fold or “collar” bearing a row or rows of pointed spines which are continued round laterally on to the ventral corners, the number being constant for each species, the corner spines large or specialized, skin anteriorly scaled or spiny. Alimentary canal consists of a pharynx, epithelial “pseudo-œsophagus” and gut cæca reaching to posterior end. Testes behind one another in hind body. Ovary on right side or median directly in front of the testes. Vitellaria lateral, usually extending to the hind end and not beyond the ventral sucker anteriorly. Genital pore just in front of ventral sucker. Uterus in transverse loops. Genital sinus absent or present. Receptaculum seminis and Laurer’s canal present. Eggs thin shelled and large, bright yellow, 65 µ to 120 µ long. Excretory bladder Y-shaped. Parasitic in gut of vertebrates, especially birds.
Sub-family. Echinostominæ, Looss, 1899.
Cirrus sac usually reaching to centre of ventral sucker, but not beyond. Cirrus long, usually without spines, coiled when retracted. Seminal vesicle tubular, twisted. On the head a ventral uniting ridge between the angles of the collar. Dorsal circlet of spines, single or double, not interrupted unless the collar itself is dorsally divided. Genera: Echinostoma, etc.
Sub-family. Himasthlinæ, Odhner, 1910.
Cirrus sac reaching far beyond ventral sucker. Cirrus armed with strong rose-thorn-shaped hooks. Vesicula seminalis tubular not coiled. Cervical collar not continued across ventral aspect. Spines on collar in one row. Body armed with fine needle-shaped spines.
Family. Schistosomidæ, Looss, 1899.
Sexes separate. Genital pore behind the ventral sucker. Ventral sucker elevated above the surface. Pharynx absent. Gut forks reunite to form a single stem. In ♂ four or more testicular follicles. In ♀ a single ovary, just in front of the union of the gut forks. Vitellaria on either side of the united gut stem.
The Trematodes Observed in Man.