THE MVXOSPORIDIA, OR PSOROSPERMS OF FISHES. 271 



Froiii Dr. Wliiiiery's paper tlie following- data are ooiuleused: 

 [Page HSU] Alltho toads examined (alton I a dozeu iu all) were from Sycamore, De Kalb 



County, 60 miles west of ( 'liica'>o. The toads were kept in the laboratory 

 Hink, and taken from this, from time to time, for examiuaiion. 



The extent of the infection must vary Avith the surroundings and environment of 

 the animals. Seven toads examined — 2 males and :"> females — showed 1 male and 4 

 females infected. It is quite i)robable tliat the mortality was increased by the con- 

 tinementin a comparatively small space. During the confinement the toads became 

 stupid, moved about but little, ami iu 2 or 3 days began to die, 1 dying every day 

 or two. Some of them lived about ^! weeks. Before death no change in external 

 appearance was noticed, except iu some cases a distension of the abdomen. Post 

 mortem some increase in amount of peritoneal fluid was usually noticed, but in the 

 toads (examined by Wliiiuny this was never so large iu amount as in the toad examined 

 byOhlmacher. The abdominal viscera showed signs of congestiim; the intestines 

 being usually distended with gas ami the kidneys enlarged and iu a congested state. 

 The parasites were fonnd only iu the tubuk-s and in the urinary bladder, aud iu the 

 si^ore stage. Ohlmacher's view that they probably kill by mechanical pressure seems 



very plausible on account of the large number of parasites iu the tubules. 

 [Page Gtjl] This number varisfl iu different .specimens; sometimes only scattering 



tubules, iu other cases large areas of tubules being filled with parasites. 

 They were never found in the glomeruli or epithelial cells. In the bladder they were 

 found in the folds of the mucous membrane. Ohlmacher has found them in uriue 

 collected during chloroform narcosis, in a clean basin. 



Detailed Moipltology of Spore. — Length about 6 ju; breadth about 8 jit; size slightly 

 varying in the same preparation. Shape, slightly oval. Shell, showing a distinct 

 striation, the stri.e appearing to proceed from the shell of each lateral half and to 

 center at the valve-junction, midway between the anterior and posterior ends. 

 Spore showing at each end a slight projection,' runniug betweeu which 2 points is 

 the faint transparent ridge, ui.irkiug the valve-junction. The projections represent 

 the vertical opti.al section of the ridge. The spore is thus composed of 2 valves, 

 their junction ]']ane dividing the ajyore into 2 symmetrical halves. Two small knob- 

 like thickenings (which show well in the fresh, unstained spore) cau be seen at the 

 anterior projection, 1 belonging to each valve. The spores often show cleavage at 

 the anterior end along the line of the valve-junction. Capsules 2, round, 3 u to 3-5 

 ^ on an average, situate at the anterior end, 1 in each valve. A filament arises from 

 each capsule, aud, penetrating the shell, leaves the spoi-e at the anterior end. The 

 capsules seem to have the power of projecting and drawing iu these filaments. 

 Length of filaments often more than 4 to 8 times the diameter of the spore. Just 

 after entering the spore, before reaching the capsule, they often apjiear in a spiral 

 roll preparatory to being coiled iu the capsule. Sporoplasm situated in the poste- 

 rior end, extending to the sides, in form approaching a crescent; not completely 

 filling the space posterior to the capsules; under high powers {-^'^ Leitz) appearing 

 homogeneous and finely granular; showing iu fresli preparations the more highly 

 refractive granules designated nuclei by Thehdiau ; these apparently vary in number 

 and position in fresh spores, and never appear in hardened and stained preparations.* 

 A vacuole could not be discovered in this species. 



' "Termed by Gurley the 'micronate [mucronate] projection.'" This name was 

 employed by me in a letter in a general sense only {a mucronate projection) and was 

 not intended as an acblitional special term. 



-Ohlmacher had only liardeucd niaterial, a fact which. Whinery thinks. ox]dains 

 his faiiure-to liud nuclei. I can not believe, from Dr. Wliiiu-ry's dcscriptiou. that the 

 bodies he calls "nuclei" are really such, s'mviiihuy (lisapprar eiitirchi in hardened aud 

 stained sj)ecimeu8. Although I have not seen Dr. Wiiinery's nuiterial, I venture to 

 suggest the possibility of their being fat globules. 



