Trichuris muris is parasitic in the large intestine of the mouse. This study has investigated aspects of the growth, moulting pattern, site-selection, hatching process and the behaviour of the nematode. The intra-luminal environment of the caecum presents optimal conditions for egg hatching which is the major reason for the nematode's specificity for this site. In caecectomised mice, the worms established in the ileum. The newly-hatched larvae penetrated the epithelium after entering the caecal gland lumen. A mechanism for hatching under caecal content stimulation is described on the basis of volumetric changes in the eggs and the ovic larvae. By using a closed-circuit television and video-tape recording system, behavioural activities of adult worms in their intraepithelial locations were observed and quantified. A new order of detail was obtained for the somatic movements, feeding, defaecation and oviposition, which emphasised the coordination and integration of these activities.

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