70 J. B. CLELAND. 



NOTE on the OCCURRENCE of COCOIDIOSIS in 

 HOUSE SPARROWS and in BOVINES in N.S.W. 



By J. Burton Cleland, m.d., ch.M. 

 Principal Microbiologist to the Government of New South Wales. 



[Read before the Royal Society of N. 8. Wales, June 4, 1913.] 



I. Ooccidiosts in the Common Sparrow, Passer 

 domesticus. 



Through the courtesy of Mr. H. W. Potts of the Hawkes- 

 bury Agricultural College, we have had an opportunity of 

 examining a number of sparrows which he has kindly for- 

 warded to us. In many of these, numerous oocysts of the 

 coccidial parasite, Isospora lacazei, Labbe, were found. 

 Some of these were rounded, and measured 21*5/^ to 27'5/s 

 others were more oblong, varying from 23'5/x to 27*5/^ by 

 17*5/* to 25*5/*. After placing the intestinal contents con- 

 taining the oocysts into a weak solution of potassium 

 bichromate, the formation of two sporoblasts could be 

 followed out. The mature sporoblasts measured from 

 16*5/* to 17*5/^ by 9*5/^ to 11/*. According to Doflein's 

 " Lehrbuch der Protozoenkunde," this species is a parasite 

 of the gut of very many passerine birds, especially the 

 common sparrow, larks, and goldfinches ; its occurrence, 

 therefore, in New South Wales amongst the domestic 

 sparrows is only to be expected. Attempts were made to 

 convey infection to domestic chickens, but these failed. It 

 is therefore highly unlikely that this coccidial parasite of 

 sparrows can infect poultry and thus be a source of danger 

 to this industry in Australia ; on the other hand the parasite 

 may possibly be advantageous by causing a certain amount 

 of fatality in young sparrows, and thus diminishing slightly 

 the numbers of this pest. So far the allied parasite Eimeria 



