ON A NEW TREMATODE PARASITE EPISTHMIUM SOLANENSIS N . SPa ( ECHINOSTOMATIDAE : ECHINOSTOMATINAE ) FROM A BIRD HOST , BUBULCUS IBIS COROMANDUS BODDAERT FROM SOLAN , HIMACHAL PRADESH , INDIA

Birds show a good number of trematode infection in their internal organisms which may not fatal to them, parasitized with symbiotic effect. Nine examples of Bulbul, Bubuicus ibis coromandus Boddaert were caught by mist net at Solan Camp during the faunal exploration. Out of which two were been dissected out to examine the faunal biodiversity of helminthes infection, rest were allowed to fly again to the sky. Three trematodes were collected from two, Abird hosts and are identified as Episthmium (soianensis), which are new to science.


INTRODUCTION
Birds show a good number of trematode infection in their internal organisms which may not fatal to them, parasitized with symbiotic effect.Nine examples of Bulbul, Bubuicus ibis coromandus Boddaert were caught by mist net at Solan Camp during the faunal exploration.Out of which two were been dissected out to examine the faunal biodiversity of helminthes infection, rest were allowed to fly again to the sky.Three trematodes were collected from two, Abird hosts and are identified as Episthmium (soianensis), which are new to science.which are backwardly directed; head collar (Fig. 2) reniform with a / crown of 24 spines, dorsally interrupted, there are twelve spines on each side with four forming the corner spines; oral sucker sub-terminal, 0.08-0.096 in diameter; prepharynx small, pharynx well developed, 0.112-0.16x 0.128-0.16,esophagus small, bifurcates into caeca in front of acetabulum; caeca almost to posterior end of body; acetabulum much larger than oral sucker and 0.4-0.56x 0.368-0.544,fore body 0.528-0.96,approximately 1 15th of body length.Testes large, smooth, situated in posterior half of body, anterior one transeversely elongate and posterior one longitudinally elongate, 0.335-0.672x 0.368-0.688and 0.448-0.8xO.32-0.528respectively; cirrus sac (Fig. 3) is strongly muscular, 0.8-1.12xO.112-0.128, lies dorsal to acetabulum, overlapping its anterior half; seminal vesicle occupying the major portion of cirrus sac, is bent on itself, thereby giving a bipartite appearance; pars prostatica small and opens into the cirrus; genital pore lies immediately in front of acetabulum in the median line; cirrus eversible.Ovary small, almost round, placed slightly towards right side anterior to testis, 0.16-0.24xO.16-0.272;receptaculum seminis absent; vitellaria profusely developed extending in lateral fields as far forward as pharynx, usually confluent across median line anterior to genital pore and posterior to testes; uterus occupying the intercaecal space between ovary and acetabulum; eggs oval, operculate, 82-54 Jl ; excretory vesicle not observed.
At present the genus Episthmium Luhe, 1909 comprises the following valid species recorded so far from the bursa fabricii or intestine of birds are shown in Table : I Yamashita, 1937 andSzidat, 1940 suggested that E. africanum is identical with E bursicola.Yamaguti, 1971 suggested that the contrary seems true because in E.africanum the post testicular area is much bigger and the eggs are much larger.
The present species resembles with E. africanum (Stiles.1901) Luhe, 1909 in general structure and appearance but differs from it in having a long cirrus sac, larger testes, shorter post ovarian space and the tapering hind body.Eggs are larger and more numerous in the present form.

SUMMARY
Present study deals with eleven valid species under the genus Episthmium Luhe, 1909 and with a new creature which is unique in feature and seems as new to science.Three examples of that were collected from Solan, Himachal Pradesh, so it is described as Episthmium solanensis n. sp.

ACKNO~EDGEMENTS
Authors are thankful to Director, Zoological Survey of India for providing the laboratory facilities to carry out the study.We also express our heartfelt thanks to Dr. Avtar Kaur, Olc, Zoological Survey of India, Solan Center and the State Government.Himachal Pradesh for extending their co-operation during the Survey.