174 THE ANIMAL PARASITES OF MAN 



genera recognized by Fran9a l (1909), and placed in a provisional 

 family, Piroplasmidce, may be listed, though further research may 

 lead to emendations : 



(1) Babesia (Starcovici) or Piroplasum (Patton). Pyriform 

 parasites, dividing by a special form of budding or gemmation with 

 chromatin forking, as well as by direct binary fission. Parasitic in 

 oxen, dogs, sheep, horses, etc. 



(2) Thcileria (Bettencourt, Frar^a and Borges). Rod-shaped and 

 oval parasites occurring in cattle and deer. T. parva is the patho- 

 genic agent of African East Coast fever in cattle. 



(3) Nuttallia (Fran9a). Oval or pear-shaped parasites, with mul- 

 tiplication in the form of a cross. N. equi* (fig. 9) of equine "piro- 

 plasmosis" (nuttalliosis). N. herpestidis in a mongoose. 



(4) Nicollia (Nuttall). Oval or pear-shaped parasites with 

 characteristic nuclear dimorphism, and with quadruple division at 

 first fan-like, then like a four-leaved clover. N. quadrigemina from 

 the gondi. 



(5) Smithia (Fran9a). Pear-shaped, single forms stretching across 

 the blood corpuscle. Multiplication into four in the form of a cross. 

 S. microti from Microtus arvalis, S. talpce from the mole. 



(6) Rossiella (Nuttall). This belongs to the family Piroplasmidae 

 of Frar^a. It is intracorpuscular and non-pigment forming, occurring 

 singly, in pairs, or occasionally in fours. It is usually round and 

 larger than Babesia. The parasite multiplies by binary fission. 

 R. rossi in the jackal. 



The genus Babesia is the best known and most important, and 

 will be considered next. 



Genus. Babesia, Starcovici, 1893. 



Syn. : Pyrosoma, Smith and Kilborne, 1893 > Apiosoma, Wandolleck, 1895 ; Piro- 

 plasma, W. H. Patton, 1895 ; Amcebosporidium, Bonome, 1895. 



The organisms belonging to this genus are pyriform, round or 

 amoeboid. The characteristic mode of division is as follows : Just 

 before division the parasite becomes amoeboid and irregular in shape, 

 (fig. 91, i 5) with a compact nucleus. The latter gives off a nuclear 

 bud. This nuclear bud divides into two by forking (fig. 91, 6, 7) 

 The chromatin forks grow towards the surface of the body of the 

 rounded parasite, and then two cytoplasmic buds grow out. The 

 forking nuclear buds, which are Y-shaped, pass into the cytoplasmic 

 outgrowths 3 (fig. 91, 8, 9). The buds gradually increase in size at 



1 Arch. Inst. Bact. Camara Pestana, iii, p. n. 



Parasitology, v (1912), p. 65. 



3 Nuttall and Graham-Smith, Journ. Hyg., vii, p. 232. 



