AMCEBA PARASITICA. A NEW PROTOZOAN 

 INFESTING SHEEP. 



By R. von Lendenfeld, Ph.D. 



(Plate VI.) 



Some weeks ago I was commissioned by the Hon. the Minister 

 of Mines to investigate some diseased sheep in two different 

 localities in New South Wales, at Quirindi in the Liverpool Plains 

 and near Young. 



I forwarded my reports in due course to the department, but 

 thinking that my researches might also be of some general scientific 

 interest I publish them here. 



The sheep are affected by a disease which appears very similar 

 to epithelial cancer and was met with on the feet behind the hoofs 

 and also on the lips and nostrils and the gums of lambs. 



The epithelium in these places grows with pathological rapidity 

 the horny layer produced soon attains a thickness of 3 — 5 mm., the 

 wool drops out in the deceased parts and below the thick outer 

 layer a festering process sets in. 



After some time a new Epithelium makes its appearance below 

 the festering layer. Then, provided the lamb does not die, the 

 thick horny layer is thrown off like scurf and the Epithelium below 

 attains new wool and replaces the old skin — the lamb has recovered. 



In studying the circumstances in which these sheep live, I found, 

 that they invariably were exposed to being wounded in some way 

 or another in those places, which eventually developed the disease, 

 — blistered by standing on rocks heated by the sun after they had 

 been standing in water for several hours or pricked by the spines 

 of the variegated thistle under the shade of which they had, in 

 consequence of the prevailing drought, to find their food. 



