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OF the several species of cestodes, infecting domestic fowls in Kerala, Raillietina tetragona (Molin, 1858), R. echinobothrida (Megnin, 1881) and Cotugnia digonopora (Pasquale, 1890) are of common occurrence. Life history studies by various workers (Horsfall, 1938; Chand, 1964b; Sawada, 1952a, b, 1953a; Reid and Nugara, 1961; Saran, 1966; and Mathur and Pande, 1969) have established the role of ants as the intermediate host for these tapeworms. Our studies on the biology and the host-parasite relationship of these tapeworms revealed that more than one species of ants serve as intermediate host for each of them. This paper deals with different species of ants, involved in the life cycle of R. tetragona, R. echinobothrida and C. digonopora, and the intensity and frequency of infection in them MATERIALS AND METHODS The following species of ants were collected from 25 poultry yards in Trivandrum during the period extending from July 1968 to March 1970;…

The musculature ofCotugnia digonopora is described in detail. In the scolex there are four muscle systems, very well developed and used for the working of the organs of attachment. The suckers do not show any special muscle systems and possess the typical cestode sucker musculature. The musculature of the strobila consists of transverse, dorsoventral and longitudinal muscles. The longitudinal muscles are present in bundles and are in two layers alternating with a double layer of transverse muscle fibres. These muscles are associated with their respective myoblasts, which are of three types. These myoblasts give rise to the muscles of the strobila. A discussion is provided about the origin of the various muscles in the cestodes.

The present paper, Part V of the series deals with the detailed study of the nervous system of C. digonopora. The nervous system in this cestode is divisible into a central nervous system and a peripheral nervous system. The former includes the anterior rostellary nerve ring, cephalic ganglionic mass, the nerves to the four suckers and the lateral longitudinal nerve cords. The peripheral nervous system includes the branches of the lateral longitudinal nerve cords and the neuromuscular cells which connect the muscle fibres with the lateral nerve cords.