273 



Other species are H. biretorta in L. ocellata, H. 

 platydactyli (Billet) in Platydactylus mauritanicus, 

 H. psammodromi in Psammodromus algirus, H. mabuiae 

 in Mabuia vittata, H. erlichi in Varanus exanthema- 

 ticus, and H. macroscinci in Macroscincus coctaei 

 (Cape Verd Islands). 



HAEMOGREGARINES IN CHELONIANS 



I. H. stepanowi. It is found in the tortoise, 

 Cistudo europaea. This may be taken as the type 

 haemogregarine. It presents the following forms 

 (Fig. _88):-_ 



(i) Reniform parasites, ten to fourteen /* long. 

 Curved and thickened at each end, granular, non- 

 pigmented. Intermediate forms occur between this 

 and the next developmental stage. 



(ii) Vermicule forms, also endoglobular, but after 

 examining a fresh specimen of blood for some time, 

 free forms are seen thirty to forty v long and three to 

 four At broad. These are actively motile, and con- 

 strictions can be seen travelling down their length 

 during the motion. 



(iii) Young forms and segmenting forms are not 

 seen in the circulation. These are found in the liver. 

 The segmenting forms are at first endoglobular, but 

 later free. They occur as ovoid forms, ten to sixteen 

 P long by four to six ft broad, shewing as many as six 

 nuclei (chromatin masses). The protoplasm finally 

 segments and there is formed 



(iv) An actively amoeboid young form (mero- 

 zoit). 



The spores that are found in the kidneys of 

 tortoises belong, according to Laveran, not to the 

 haemogregarine at all, but are those of a Myxosporidium 

 (M. danileivskyi). 



