30 
Hi^^MOGBEGABINE OF BHAMPHTOriTIS BUP.BOPUNCTATUS 
A snake 
parasite 
Morphology 
Free forms 
Nuuierous experiments have been conducted with fleas, chiefly Loeinopst/lJa cleopatrse, 
mites (Dennanyssus sp.), and bed-bugs Cimex macrocephalus (Patton), with a view to finding an 
extra-corporeal stage in the life-cycle. All that has been noted, however, is that in all these 
insects there is a marked tendency to the formation of travelling vermicules. The sporonts 
are set free and become the slow-moving, worm-like forms described and figured in the 
last Eeport. 
In this connection, attention may be directed to Plate II., which is taken from a section 
of a flea and shows the arrangement of (h-ifJiidid. in the hind gut of LtfinupsyJhi 
cleopatrie, this being the Herpetomoiias parasite of the flea itself, which was at first 
mistaken for a developmental stage of Hiemoyreyariua jarnlL. 
l[.KM()(iKE«AKINE OF Pt H ,VM P H I01> II IS R U B RO P UNCT .\T ITS 
By the Dibector 
Hasiiiogreyiirina vaayhani, n.sp. 
In a blood-smear taken from the non-poisonous snake, Rhnmphiophis rnhropunctatm, 
in the Bahr-El-Gliazal Province, and sent me by Captain P. S. Vaughan, 1 found a 
hjEinogregarine present {vide Plate III., tig. 1). I am indebted to Mr. A. L. Butler for 
having the snake identified for me. He tells me it is a rare one in collections. 
In the smears, endoglobular sporonts and free forms were found. The former were 
fairly numerous; the latter, rare. The parasites resemble H. ferzii (Sambon and Seligmann). 
The sporont is curved, usually thicker at one end than at the other, and partially surrounds 
the corpuscular nucleus, which is often flattened and pressed close against the convexity of 
the parasite. The narrower posterior end of the sporont is sometimes incurved. The 
nucleus is usually central in position, but may be nearer one or other extremity. The extra- 
nuclear portion stains either a homogeneous blue (Leishman or Giemsa), or contains 
chromatin dots, sometimes of considerable size, or portions which stain a darker blue 
colour. One has specially noted the chromatin dots along the convex edge of the sporont 
and close to the nucleus. The parasite is either in close contact with the corpuscular 
substance or (and this is more common) lies in a well-marked capsule, like that which 
encloses If. terzii, the hsemogregarine of the boa-constrictor. 
The sporonts vary in size. They are from 12-75 u long by 1-5 broad, to 18 long 
by 5-25 p broad. A common measurement noted was 15 p by 4-5 p. The host cell is, as a 
rule, enlarged both in length and breadth, but its staining reactions remain unaltered. 
Sometimes the nucleus of the corpuscle is found lying across or partly across the parasite, 
an appearance doubtless produced artificially in making the smear. 
The free forms are usually curved and attenuated. They vary in length from 
15 p to 18 p, in breadth from 1-5 u to 2-25 p. The nucleus of the free form is longer than 
that of the sporont, measuring from 7-5 p to 10-5 p in length. I have seen no granules or 
dots in the extra-nuclear portions of these vermicules. 
As only a single film was available, one was unable to carry out different staining 
methods or vary the intensity of the stain. The oblique, transverse lines, described by 
Sambon and Seligmann in If. samboni (Giordano), and other forms, were not observed, nor 
was there any marked indication that the sporonts were sexually different, although it is 
true that the smaller forms did not present the granules and dots shown by the larger 
ones, and that the protoplasm of the former had more of a hyaline apiiearance. The 
schizogony and sporogony of this haemogregarine are unknown. 
I propose the name IT. vruiyhani for this hannogregarine. 
