BY T. HARVEY JOHNSTON AND M. J, BANCROFT. 45 



It is almost certain that these microfilariae do not 

 represent the intermediate stage of 0. gibsoni. The smooth- 

 ness of the cuticle is different from what one would expect 

 in the final larval stage of such a markedly corrugated worm 

 as 0. gibsoni. Again, judging b}" the post mortem findings 

 of others only a ie\\ Onchocerca embryos occur in any 

 one spot of the body of the beast and very rarely if at all in 

 the blood stream. It would be extremely diffici:lt to explain 

 how the fly could come to ingest such an enormous number 

 of embryos as are commonly found in a single fly, unless it 

 had access to embryo laden lymph in a superficial nodule. 

 The worms appear to have all the characteristics of a t3'pical 

 Filaria and in all probability' represent a stage in a species 

 parasitising one or other of the vertebrates of the Eidsvold 

 district. 



A number of the local mammals, birds and reptiles 

 har})our filariae. F. websteri Cobb old is found fairlj* fre- 

 quently in the knee joint of the kangaroo Macropus giganteus 

 and the whiptail 21. j^arryi. The embryos of this filaria 

 have only once been found in a blood film (taken from the 

 neck) of a whiptail by Dr. Bancroft who considers that the 

 microfilariae may have been liberated into the blood by the 

 cutting of a lympahtic. Besides, the adult female filaria 

 has well marked transverse annulations, some sign of which 

 might be expected to be shewn by the final larval stag'e. 

 The common opossum, Trichosurus vulpecula, harbours 

 Filaria trichosuri Breinl, the embryos of which occur in 

 lihe blood stream, but as the host is a nocturnal animal 

 hiding away during the day, it does not seem likely that it 

 should be attacked by Tabanids. 



Of the numerous species of local birds which hajrbour 

 filaria, the soldier hird, Myzantha garrula is the most common. 

 Other possibilities are : — the grey jumper, Struthidea 

 cinerea ; the blue eared honey eater, Entomyza cyanotis ; 

 the babbler, Pomatostomus frivolus ; the mutton bird, 

 Corcorax melanorhamphus ; the blue jay, Coracina robusta ; 

 the magpie, Gymnorhina iibicen ; the chip-chip, Pardalotus 

 melanocephalus ; the mopoke, Podargus strigoides ; the 

 nightjar, Aegotheles novcehollandioe ; the crow, Corvus 

 coronoides ; the darter, Plotus novcehollandice ; the black 

 cormorant, Phalacrocorax sulcirostris ; and a number of 

 others (see Johnston, 1916). 



