Abstract
Over a period from 1981 to 1983, 270 feral pigeons (Columba livia domestica) were captured at 5 areas of Nagoya and Inuyama. Of them, forty were infested with Tetrameres fissispina, which was identified by Dr. S. L. Eduardo, the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of the Philippines System, Quezon City, Philippines. A typical reddish cyst was observed in the wall of the proventriculus. It was a female body itself. Number of cysts per the proventriculus ranged from 1 to more than 50, increasing with the advance in growth of the pigeon. Especially, heavy infbstations did occur in adult birds.
A rate of infestation range from 8% to 33% depending upon the area pigeons inhabit. The average rate of infestation among the birds captured in the Nagoya areas was 15%. It was significantly higher than those among feral pigeons in Tokyo or some other areas. The significance of such topographical difference in the infestation rate was discussed.
