ON DREPANIDIUM RANARUM. 55 



tion descriptive of cell-parasites generally. I propose to enter 

 the parasite of the cells of the frog's blood and spleen upon the 

 list of recognised organisms as Brepanidium ranaruyn. 



Dr. Gaule has added two interesting facts to those which I 

 was able to furnish in 1871, relative to Brepanidinm. The 

 more important is that not only is Brepanidium to be found 

 attached to the red blood- corpuscle as I had figured it, but 

 that it occurs also loitldn the substance of the corpuscle. In 

 the cells of the spleen these parasites are also shown by Dr. 

 Gaule to occur in some abundance, and the spleen furnishes the 



FIC.3. F/C.4- 



Pig, 3. — BrepaHidium ranarum attached to red blood-corpuscles of Rana 



esculenia. (Original figure, 1871.) 

 Fig. 4. — Two Drepanidia ranarum more highly magnified. One shows two 



motionless filaments. (Original figure, 1871.) 



most ready source for procuring them for observation. They 

 are admitted by Dr. Gaule to occur in the free condition floating 

 in the plasma of the blood, both in the spleen and in other parts 

 of the body.^ 



The second fact of interest for which we are indebted to Dr. 

 Gaule, is that when a blood-preparation (with cover-glass closed 

 by a film of oil) containing these parasites is heated on the 

 stage of the microscope to 30 — 35° C. the parasites exhibit 

 very active and characteristic movements. 



I am indebted to Dr. Woolridge, of Guy's Hospital, for the 

 opportunity of again studying the Brepanidium ranarum, he 

 having kindly placed at my disposal two specimens of the Rana 

 escidenta which were presented to him by Dr. Gaule, and had 

 been ascertained to be infested with these parasites. The frogs 

 were examined in the month of November, and contained a 

 number of the parasites, but not so large a number as appear 

 to have been present in some cases studied by Dr. Gaule. I 

 found the teazing of a small piece of spleen in salt-solution to 



' I learn from Dr. Woolridge that Dr. Gaule has found the Drepanidia 

 also in the liver and pancreas of the Frog. 



