236 



Capsule of a plaice : this he called Sphcerospora platessw. In 

 a later report (No. 15, for 1906, pp. 207-208) Dr. Woodcock 

 describes another Myxosporidian which occurred in the sclerotic 

 of the Norway Pout, Gadus esmarkii, and this he called 

 Myxobolus esmarkii. Since then we have found that similar 

 Myxosporidia are not at all uncommon in the cartilage of the 

 auditory capsule of whiting and cod, and these parasites are 

 probably identical with the latter one characterised by Dr. 

 Woodcock. 



In the hake described here the sclerotic of one eye is 

 heavily infected with the Myxosporidian cysts in a way that is 

 quite similar to that seen in the specimen of Gadus esmarkii 

 referred to above. Not only so, but almost everywhere in the 

 skull ; wherever there is cartilage the same condition exists. 

 There are blunted projections into the mouth, and on cutting 

 into these they are seen to be cartilaginous and to contain 

 numerous Myxosporidian cysts. Evidently we have to deal 

 with a very heavy infection. 



Rough sections were made of the tumours on the head 

 and these were found to consist of a fibrous cartilage. Romid 

 each cyst there appeared to be a thin limiting membrane, but 

 there was no fibrous capsule. However, the fixation had been 

 a simple, weak formalin one, and so the preservation was too 

 imperfect to admit of close study of the histology. 



Fig. 5 shows two of the spores. A is stained with Mann's 

 methyl-blue-eosin and B with carbol fuchsin. The spores are 

 lenticular m shape, but very nearly spherical (lO by 9 yu) when 

 seen on the flat. There are two oval polar capsules, each 

 measuring about 4 yu, in longest diameter. There is a large 

 iodinophilous vacuole. The fixation was so imperfect that 

 none of the stains (Mallory and also haemalum were used) 

 were able to demonstrate the nuclei. No polar filaments 

 could be seen. 



