Occurrence of Filaria sanguinea in Galaxias scriba. 269 



inclining to purple ; throat and breast grass-green ; under tail- 

 coverts white ; upper mandible black ; under mandible fleshy, with 

 a black tip ; tarsi yellow or flesh-colour. 



Total length 4f inches ; bill ly 1 ^ ; wing 2-f ; tail Iff- ; tarsi \. 



Hab. Bocca del Toro, in Costa Rica. 



Remark. — The specimen from, which the above description was 

 taken is somewhat immature ; it is, however, sufficiently advanced 

 to show that it would have, when adult, a fine green breast ; but 

 whether the green colour would extend over the abdomen I am un- 

 able to say. It is nearly equal in size to the H. urochrysa, H. Buf- 

 foni, and H. cceruleigastra ; but it has a shorter wing and a more 

 rounded tail than either of those species, and the under tail- coverts, 

 although white, are less plume-like in form than in the typical Hy- 

 puroptilce. It is just possible that it may be necessary to separate 

 this bird into a new genus when we see it in its fully adult state ; 

 but it appears at present to be most nearly allied to the members of 

 the group in which I have provisionally placed it. I received this 

 bird from M. Edouard Verreaux, of Paris, many years ago, since which 

 I do not remember to have seen another. 



The specific name Isaurce was suggested to me by my late highly 

 valued friend the Prince Charles Lucien Bonaparte, who wished thus 

 to convey a compliment to Madame la Baronne de la Fresnaye, the 

 niece of Montbeillard, the able coadjutor of the celebrated Buffon. 



Note on the occurrence of Filaria sanguinea in the 

 body of the Galaxias scriba, a Freshwater Fish from 

 Australia. By W. Baird, M.D., F.L.S. 



In the beginning of this year, some time in February, several 

 freshwater fishes belonging to the genus Galaxias were brought over 

 to this country, alive, from the Murray River, Australia. Though 

 several survived the passage across the Atlantic, only one reached 

 the hands of the importer, Mr. Lloyd, alive. 



This little fish was then placed in the freshwater Vivarium in the 

 Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park, but it only lived about a week 

 there, dying in the beginning of March. Upon an inspection of the 

 body after death, an intestinal Worm was discovered making its ap- 

 pearance through the skin near the left pectoral fin. A more minute 

 examination discovered the existence of an abscess in that part of 

 the body, upon opening which I took out five specimens of a small 

 Worm which occupied the cavity of the abscess, and were apparently 

 making their way through the integuments of the fish. The abscess 

 communicated with the peritoneal cavity of the Galaxias, and had 

 evidently caused its death. Upon examining the Worms, they appear 

 to be identical with the species first described by Rudolphi as being 

 found by him lodged under the integuments of the caudal fin of the 

 Cyprinus gibelio, or Crucian Carp, and named by him Filaria san- 

 guinea. This species has since been found by Creplin in the cavity 

 of the abdomen of the Leuciscus rutilus, or common Roach, and by 

 Siebold in the L. erythrophthalmus, the Red-eye or Rudd. The spe- 



