Haemogregarine. 3 7 



Nicolle and Comtek and one {H. Varani) from V. niloticus by 

 Laveran.'^ 



Recently while on a visit to the northern part of this State 

 I had an opportunity of making post-moi-tem examinations on 

 two " Goannas " (Varanus varius) immediately after they were 

 shot, and some smears were made of the blood of each for sub- 

 sequent examination. In the smears of one — that of a very 

 young specimen — no parasites could be detected. But in those 

 from the other-^an animal in very fat condition, measuring 

 about two feet from tip to tip. so not full grown — a number 

 of red blood corpuscles were found to contain a parasite having 

 all the characters of a Haemogregarine. 



The blood smears before examination had been fixed in 

 alcohol, and stained by Giemsa's double stain, and the follow- 

 ing are the characters observed : — 



The parasites are not numerous, in one slide only half-a-dozen 

 intra-corpuscular bodies being detected. Some of the affected 

 erythrocytes are distinctly larger than noinnal, though usually 

 there is not any difference in size. The size of the affected red 

 corpuscles varies from 14-17 microns long and from 8-11 microns 

 wide, while the size of the unaffected ones rarely exceeds 14 

 microns long and 8 microns wide. The cell nucleus is fre- 

 quently enlarged and generally eccentric, often lying close to 

 the edge of the cell. The parasites themselves . vary in size 

 from slightly in excess of the length of the nucleus to a length 

 exceeding that of the blood cell, when they may be seen distinctly 

 curved inwards at either extremity. As a rule a concave border 

 is presented towards the cell nucleus, buti in one or two in- 

 stances the convex border may be seen so disposed. The " cap- 

 sule " is generally distinct, though in some cases indefinite. 

 The nucleus of the parasite is almost invariably situated in the 

 third nearest the broader, generally considered anterior, ex- 

 tremity. It sometimes appears as a kind of band, and in the 

 majority of cases is sharply defined, but in one or two instances 

 appears more or less diffuse. Tlie cytoplasm is finely granular 

 but often stains irregularly. The blood cell does not appear to 



1 C. R. Soc. Biol., vol. Ixi. 



2 C. R. Soc. Biol., vol. lix. 



