THE PARASITIC PROTOZOA OF THE RED GROUSE 323 



As before mentioned (p. 319), Leucocytozoon lovati, as it has been found to 

 occur in Grouse on the moors, does not appear to be a serious agent of 

 disease. 



2. Hjemoproteus MANSONi ^&mhor\, 1908. 



This parasite of the red blood corpuscles of Grouse was recorded by Sambon in 

 1908, but figures from originals supplied by him have only recently been published 

 (1910) in Castellani and Chalmers' "Manual of Tropical Medicine," Fig. 55, p. 235. 



In blood-films sent to me from Scotland and taken from two Grouse, I found, 

 after staining, a few parasites inside the red blood corpuscles. Two examples of 

 the organism are drawn in PI. XLVii., Figs. 41-42. They appear to be young- 

 forms of the parasite, one of which showed clearly granules of melanin pigment. 

 I regret that, owing to lack of material, I cannot give a fuller description of the 

 organism. 



O 



It is likely that this Hremosporidian is spread from Grouse to Grouse by 

 the Grouse-fly, Ornithomyia lagopodis, in the gut of which Grouse-blood is found. 

 In the gut-contents of the fly, unicellular vermicules apparently protozoal organisms, 

 were sometimes seen. Further, Sambon states that " in the stomach of one [Grouse-] 

 fly, I discovered a few htemozoin-bearing protozoa, which were no doubt the 

 ookinetes of the Hcemoproteus mansoni previously found in the blood of a Grouse 

 from Scotland" (Sambon (1909), p. 37). 



Spirochaetacea (Proflagellata). 

 Spirocb^ta lagopodis, sp. n. 



When examining the blood of Grouse for parasites, I have occasionally found a 

 few small Spirochpetes exhibiting considerable morphological variation (PI. XLVii., 

 Figs. 29-40). As a Spirochaete has not been previously recorded from the blood of 

 Grouse, I have named it Spirochceta lagopodis. The Spirochaites were present in 

 blood from the heart, liver, and spleen of three birds, but were somewhat rare in 

 each case. On one occasion I saw the parasites in life ; the remaining preparations 

 were fixed and coloured with Giemsa's stain. 



Dr Sambon (1909) has noted the presence of an unnamed Spirochsete "in 

 smears from the pulp of young feathers, and not in the general circulation " of 

 Grouse. It is possible that Spirochctita lagopodis and the parasite of feather-pulp may 

 be identical, but as details of the latter parasite are lacking, I cannot establish the 



