In May 1912 when on the way with our Floating Laboratory to Rejaf, en route for the sleeping sickness district in what was formerly the Lado Enclave (now part of Mongalla Province), the late Colonel Mathias shot, near Renkwood station on the White Nile, two specimens of the Senegal or red-fronted gazelle—Gazella rufifrons. I found one of these animals, a female in good condition, heavily infected with sarcosporidiosis, the diaphragm, the intercosted muscles and those of the thigh being specially affected, though the striped muscle fibre everywhere contained cysts in varying numbers. In the light of the observations made by Probst and Francis (1910) the blood was carefully examined but no sarcosporidial spores were found in it nor were any blood parasites present.

In vector-borne diseases it is generally the vector which determines the success of disease transmission and efforts to limit the incidence of such diseases generally involve control of the vector. The very nature of their feeding habits renders haematophagous arthropods prime candidates for disease transmission and a great deal is now known of the biology of the most important vectors. Nevertheless, there are many areas in which our knowledge is incomplete or about which conflieting views exist.

The capillariid nematodes present in avian hosts collected in Palawan and Borneo are recorded and described. Three new species are established, Capillaria javanensis from Dinopium javanense everetti, Drycopus javanensis hargitti, Mei-glyptes tukki tukki and Megalaima chrysopogon chrysopsis, Capillaria pitti from Pitta sordida sordida, Copyschus niger niger, Copyschus saularis and Chalcophaps indica indica, and Capillaria anthracocerosi from Anthracoceros marchei. Capillaria tridens and C. madseni are recorded from new hosts.

We wish to acknowledge the field support by Dr D. S. Rabor, Department of Biology, Silliman University, Damaguete City, Negros Oriental, Republic of the Philippines, and the technicians of the Parasitology Department of Naval Medical Research Unit No. 2 for general assistance in procurement and examination of hosts. The authors are indebted to Messrs H. G. Deignan (deceased) and George Watson, U.S. National Museum, Washington, D.C., as well as to Dr Rabor for identification of hosts. Dr B. J. Myers assisted with the initial handling of the spe

Initial work for this study was supported by funding under Public Law 480, Section 104(c), by funds provided by the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Navy Department Work Unit MR 005.20–0098, by contract no. NR 103–690/N 0014–66–C 0094, between the Office of Naval Research, Department of the Navy and the Southwest Foundation for Research and Education, and grant no. 5 P01-GM-13252–02 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, DHEW. Final efforts were sponsored by the Department of the Army, contract no. DADA 17–68-C-8094.

A marked difference in the rate and extent of growth of the third-stage larvae of Amplicaecum robertsi was observed in the liver of indigenous Australian rats, as compared with non-indigenous rats. This difference was not correlated with the number of larvae recovered. The suggestion is made that the greater growth in indigenous rodents might be due to the availability or accessibility of a growth factor in the former group, or a manifestation of ‘adaptation tolerance’, an immunological unresponsiveness arising from adaptation in a geographically isolated host-parasite association. Observations on incidence of natural infection supported the hypothesis in relation to Rattus assimilis but not to Melomys cervinipes.

Thanks are due to Dr C. Dobson for help with the presentation of results.

This study aimed to investigate myocardial injuries in mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni and fed a high-fat chow. Sections of myocardial tissue from S. mansoni-infected mice, and controls that had been killed 9 and 17 weeks post-infection, were stained with H&E and Picrosirius red. Histopathological examination, stereological design-based method (optical disector) and morphometry (vessels, cardiomyocytes and an amount of collagen) were used. Data were analysed using two-way ANOVA. Regardless of time of infection, myocardial tissue from the infected mice fed high-fat chow showed myocarditis characterized by a higher number of inflammatory foci, several areas displaying coagulation of cardiac fibres, a greater loss of cardiomyocytes and fibroblast proliferation than in the standard chow control. Comparing infected mice from acute and chronic infections, a higher cardiomyocyte hyperplasia (P < 0·0001) and higher amounts of collagen (P < 0·05) were observed than in standard chow control. In addition, all animals fed high-fat chow showed lower numerical density and total number of cardiomyocytes (P < 0·05), thicker vessel walls and narrowed luminal intramyocardial vessels (P > 0·05) than in the standard chow control. Altogether the data supported the view that a double burden has a synergistic deleterious effect on the myocardial tissue.

The above-mentioned considerations bearing upon the influence of insect prevalence and the influence of meteorological conditions on the prevalence of trypanosome infections in rats may be summarized as follows:

(1) There are definite seasonal variations in the prevalence of trypanosome infections in M. rattus and in M. decumanus.

(2) No definite correlation is forthcoming between the seasonal prevalence of T. lewisi and the seasonal prevalence of rat fleas. The seasonal prevalence of the transmitting insects is apparently a factor of subsidiary importance in the causation of the trypanosome prevalence.

(3) The evidence adduced above indicates that the dominant factor determining the seasonal prevalence of trypanosome infections is the atmospheric temperature, the optimum temperature approximating to 79° F. It is probable that temperature operates by influencing a developmental cycle of the trypanosomes in the transmitting insects.

(4) It is possible that in addition to temperature the atmospheric humidity may play a part by influencing the direct or mechanical transference of the infection.

In a previous paper1 we gave an account of three non-furcocercous cercariae found in Bulinus contortus in the Sudan. During further investigations on the intermediate hosts of Bilharzia, other cercariae have been found in molluscs collected in different districts of the Sudan. As their post-larval development has not been studied, the classification of these cercariae has not been attempted; the procedure of giving them numbers rather than names, indicating specific peculiarities, has been continued.

A new species, Otodistomum plunketi, is described from the Lord Plunket's Shark Scymnodon plunketi caught in Otago Harbour, New Zealand. This species is compared with Otodistomum veliporum and O. pristiophori, from which it is mainly distinguished by its size, shape, egg-size and undulating caeca.

The life-cycle of Tetrameres mohtedai in the fowl involving a hitherto unknown intermediate host, Setomorpha rutella, is described and methods for laboratory demonstration are given. Development to infectivity in the intermediate host took less than 2 weeks under laboratory conditions. Infections could be established using infective larvae dissected from the intermediate host. The pre-patent period in the fowl averaged 36 days. Experimental evidence is given for infection of the final host by ingestion of either infected adult or infected larval Setomorpha. Development of the parasite to the infective stage does not depend on metamorphosis of the intermediate host.

In a survey on the worm parasites of cats in Calcutta, Chandler (1925) mentioned the common occurrence in dogs also of Echinochasmus perfoliatus (Ratz, 1908) which has also been listed by Bhalerao (1935) in cat, dog and man. According to Verma (1935), the dogs at Calcutta harboured three distinct flukes—a species of Echinochasmus, a heterophyid and a third species described by him under a new genus, Episthochasmus, as E. caninum. In a survey of the helminth parasites of pariah dogs examined at Calcutta, Mapleston & Bhaduri (1940) included Echinochasmus sp. amongst the six new records from India. Chatterji (1954) regarded Episthochasmus as a synonym of Episthmium Lühe, 1909 and Stephanoprora Odhner, 1911, Echinochasmus and Episthmium Lühe, 1909 as subgenera of Echinochasmus. A new species, based on two specimens collected from the intestine of pariah dog at Allahabad, was described as E. (Echinochasmus) canai. Relying on the character of the forward extension of vitelline follicles, Stephanoprora was to include forms with vitellaria extending to the posterior margins of anterior testis, Echinochasmus forms with vitelline follicles extending beyond the anterior testis but not anterior to the anterior margin of ventral sucker and Episthmium forms with follicles extending beyond the anterior margin of this sucker. Thus, Verma's species was named as E. (Episthmium) caninum.

The new species described here, found in the collections of the Chicago Natural History Museum, was forwarded to me by Harry Hoogstraal, NAMRU-3, Cairo, Egypt, for description. All measurements are given in millimetres.

1. Examination of dividing trophozoites of E. invadens revealed that the peripheral granules did not contribute directly to the formation of chromosomes. Material for the chromosomes seemed to be derived from the karyosome and the perikaryosomal particles. No centrioles and spindle mechanism were noticed.

2. The nucleus showed Feulgen-positive material at all stages; in the interphase the reaction was faint because of the poor staining of the karyosome and widely dispersed perikaryosomal particles. The intensity of the staining reaction increased with the onset of division and continued so till late anaphase.

3. Nuclear division in the cyst was found to be different from that of the trophozoites and involved the formation of a typical spindle.

4. Karyosomes of the nuclei of the uni-, bi-, tetra-nucleate cysts were all positive to Feulgen staining.

5. Observations on amoebae undergoing cytokinesis showed that the process of division supports the amoeboid movement theory of cleavage put forward by Chalkley (1935, 1951).

Thanks are due to Dr P. Tate for constant guidance and encouragement during the course of this work and to Dr E. W. McConnachie for kindly giving the cultures and for critically reading through the manuscript. The work was carried out during the tenure of a Royal Society and Nuffield Foundation Commonwealth Bursary.

In 1904, Bezzenberger investigated ciliates from the rectum of several amphibian hosts of Asia and described two new species of Nyctotherus, N. macropharyngeus and N. magnus. Recently Dashi Nie (1932) described two more new species, N. nankingensis and N. pyriformis, with several opalinids from Rana limnocharis Gravenhorst of Nanking. It is the purpose of this paper to describe a new species of Nyctotherus from the Chinese frog, Rana spinosa.

1. The weight of blood ingested by all stages of H. anatolicum anatolicum has been determined and from the results a direct relationship appears to exist between the weights of replete adults and their blood content. In engorged nymphs the relationship was subject to some variations, while in fully fed larvae no such correlation was apparent, indicating the ingestion of a large proportion of extravascular fluids.

2. It was found that all instars concentrate the imbibed blood by the elimination of water. In larvae the concentration is by a factor of at least 5·25, in nymphs 3·4, in females 2·1 and in males 1·4.

3. A correlation was found between the external colour of fully engorged larvae and the quantity of blood imbibed.

I wish to thank Dr R. P. Chaudhuri for providing the original specimens of H. anatolicum anatolicum from which the culture was started, and Professor Don. R. Arthur for reading the manuscript and for his advice and assistance.

In an earlier paper (1908, pp. 255–257), we gave a full account of a paper by Miyajima (1907) wherein this author described experiments in which he states that he succeeded in cultivating Theileria (Piroplasma) parva. According to Miyajima, he had no difficulty in cultivating the parasite when he added the blood of cattle (containing Theileria) to ordinary bouillon in the proportion of 1 : 5 to 1 : 10, the cultures being maintained at 20–30° C. Miyajima states that trypanosomes appeared in his cultures after an interval of 3 days and underwent vigorous multiplication reaching “the maximum after the tenth to fourteenth day.” Miyajima's description of the supposed process of development is obscure, and it is difficult to understand how the diminutive intra-corpuscular Theileria can develop into a Trypanosoma. We refer the reader who desires particulars regarding these experiments to our paper already cited. In our paper we stated that “a certain amount of scepticism” appeared justified until Miyajima's results had been extended and confirmed. The warning appears to have come too late in respect to Woodcock's recent review of the Haemoflagellates in Ray Lankester's Treatise on Zoology (1909, Part I. fasc. 1, p. 260), for Woodcock appears to accept Miyajima's remarkable discovery as authentic and conclusive.

The rocky intertidal zone has a long history of ecological study with barnacles frequently serving as a model system to explore foundational theories. Parasites are often ignored in community ecology studies, and this particularly holds for true for the rocky intertidal zone. We explore the role of the isopod parasite, Hemioniscus balani, on its host, the acorn barnacle, Chthamalus fissus. We use the currencies of biomass and reproduction measured at the individual level, then applied to the population level, to evaluate the importance of this parasite to barnacle populations. We found H. balani can comprise substantial biomass in ‘apparent’ barnacle populations, sometimes even equaling barnacle biomass. Additionally, parasite reproduction sometimes matched barnacle reproduction. Thus, parasites divert substantial energy flow from the barnacle population and to near-shore communities in the form of parasite larvae. Parasites appeared to decrease barnacle reproduction per area. Potentially, this parasite may control barnacle populations, depending on the extent to which heavily infected barnacle populations contribute to barnacle populations at larger scales. These findings regarding the importance of a particular parasite for host population dynamics in this well studied ecosystem call for the integration of disease dynamics into community ecological studies of the rocky intertidal zone.

In a previous paper concerning the numerous species of insect parasites associated with the Pine Shoot Moth, Rhyacionia buoliana Schiff., the mature larvae of the more important Hymenoptera were described in detail, special attention being paid to the mouth parts and tentorial structures which were found, in many cases, to provide valuable characters for distinguishing the species.

The routes of penetration and the strategies of invasion of Schistosoma japonicum miracidia in the snail vector Oncomelania hupensis were observed in a histological study. In all species of the genus Schistosoma, it is usually assumed that the miracidia achieve penetration through the tegument. Our results showed that at least 57% of S. japonicum miracidia penetrated the snail by natural openings (branchial cavity, mouth and rectum). Throughout the invasion phase, the larvae were observed in all the tissues and organs with the exception of the genital gland. The spatial distribution of parasites in the snail revealed that the migration towards the visceral organs such as the kidney, heart and sinuses (which are the most usual microhabitats of the mother sporocysts of S. japonicum) appeared to take place via the circulatory system. Using natural openings as routes for penetration probably provides a selective advantage in a host–parasite system in which the target mollusc is amphibious: we presume that the miracidia inside these natural openings are protected against desiccation when the snail leaves the water, and that they can subsequently invade the tissues.

In October, 1934, several specimens of a tick belonging to the genus Ornithodoros were forwarded to the Bureau of Animal Industry for identification by Drs William Thompson and N. E. Dutro. These ticks were first observed by Mr F. E. Swan of the Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine in a carload of bat guano originating at Linares, Mexico, and held in quarantine at Matamoros, Mexico.

Antibodies at gastrointestinal mucosal membranes play a vital role in immunological protection against a range of pathogens, including helminths. Gastrointestinal health is central to efficient livestock production, and such infections cause significant losses. Fecal samples were taken from 114 cattle, across three beef farms, with matched blood samples taken from 22 of those animals. To achieve fecal antibody detection, a novel fecal supernatant was extracted. Fecal supernatant and serum samples were then analysed, using adapted enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay protocols, for levels of total immunoglobulin (Ig)A, IgG, IgM, and Teladorsagia circumcincta-specific IgA, IgG, IgM and IgE (in the absence of reagents for cattle-specific nematode species). Fecal nematode egg counts were conducted on all fecal samples. Assays performed successfully and showed that IgA was the predominant antibody in fecal samples, whereas IgG was predominant in serum. Total IgA in feces and serum correlated within individuals (0.581, P = 0.005), but other Ig types did not. Results support the hypothesis that the tested protocols are an effective method for the non-invasive assessment of cattle immunology. The method could be used as part of animal health assessments, although further work is required to interpret the relationship between results and levels of infection and immunity.