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Drs Fantham and Porter, On Induced Herpetomoniasis, etc. 189 
On Induced Herpetomoniasis in Birds. By H. B. FantHam, 
D.Se. Lond., M.A., Christ’s College, Cambridge, and Liverpool 
School of Tropical Medicine, and ANNIE Porter, D.Sc. Lond., 
Beit Memorial Research Fellow, Quick Laboratory, Cambridge. 
[Read 22 November 1915.] 
Contents. 
PAGE 
Introduction . : 5 : : A : ; : : ‘ 189 
Material and Methods ; : : : ' ‘ : ; 189 
Experimental Work . : : : : : : : : : 190 
The Morphology of the Parasites in the Insect and Avian Hosts 192 
Natural Herpetomoniasis in Birds . : 3 ; : : 193 
General Conclusions . : . : : ; : : : : 193 
Summary . ; : ‘ ‘ 3 A ; : : ; : 193 
References . j : : : : 5 ; : : ; : 194 
Introduction. 
Recently, we have published the results of a number of our 
experiments, extending over some years, on the introduction of 
certain insect flagellates into various vertebrates, belonging to the 
Pisces, Amphibia, Reptilia and Mammalia. For some time past, 
we have been testing the pathogenicity of certain insect flagellates 
with respect to birds, the last great group of European vertebrates 
that had remained untested by us. The present paper records the 
results of introducing Herpetomonas jaculwm, Léger, and H. culicis, 
Novy, MacNeal and Torrey, into birds. As long ago as 1907, 
Drs Edm. and Et. Sergent briefly recorded and figured a herpeto- 
monad that they had found in the blood of a pigeon. This fact is 
of much interest. Many birds are found dead every year from 
unknown causes, old age and accidents being excluded. Some of 
our experiments, coupled with the fact that the crops of the birds 
often contain insect remains, suggest that undetected herpeto- 
moniasis may be the cause. 
We have much pleasure in thanking Professor G. H. F. Nuttall, 
F.R.S., for his kind interest in our researches, and for looking at 
many of our preparations. 
Material and Methods. 
The birds used were canaries (Serinus canarius), sparrows 
(Passer domesticus) and martins (Chelidon urbica). The insects, 
Nepa cinerea and Culex pipiens, were obtained chiefly from the 
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