HEMATOLOGICAL, PLASMATIC AND URINARY VALUES OF PLATANISTIDAE 241 



Platanista gangetica (Roxburgh, 1801) 



2 No. 460, 56 kg; No. 462, 59,5 kg and 4 ??; No. 459, 62 kg; No. 461, 

 51 kg; No. 463, 83.5 kg; No. 464, 66 kg, captured in the Gela Bil River (Brahma- 

 putra), Assam, India. 



The blood was taken from freshly killed animais (15' to 2 hours). EDTA was 

 added as anticoagulant and " Cialit " as preservative. Blood and marrow smears 

 were taken on the spot. Some of the blood was preserved in toto while some was 

 centrifuged and the plasma put straight into test tubes. The urine was also put 

 into tubes immediately after collection that was effected through incision of the 

 bladder. This material was then dispatched to the Laboratory by air mail. 



The methods used for the investigations have already been described in 

 previous works (De Monte and Pilleri, 1968 a, b, c, 1910 a, b, 1971). 



LEUKOCYTES IN THE PERIPHERAL BLOOD 



Values for Inîa and the two species of Platanista examined by us are set out 

 in Table 1. It was not possible to perform a leukocyte count in the latter. 



A comparison between our results and those communicated by Knoll 

 (1932<3) brings to light a marked différence in the percentage of the différent type 

 of leukocytes. The mean value calculated by us was based on the examination 

 of the four spécimens of Inia. 



It is interesting to note the considerably larger number of neutrophilic 

 granulocytes found by us (69.88%; Knoll: 34%) and the lower number of 

 lymphocytes (15.87%; Knoll: 41%). 



Circulatory erythroblasts that were not observed by Knoll, who on the 

 contrary remarked on their absence (1939), were présent in ail four spécimens. 



The percentage of eosinophilic granulocytes and monocytes was lower than 

 that indicated by Knoll. 



High values were also calculated for the neutrophilic granulocytes of Plata- 

 nista. The mean value of the findings for ail the spécimens of the two species 

 was 80.25% and is the highest calculated to date for cetaceans (S. Andersen, 

 1968; De Monte and Pilleri, 1968ûr, \910a\ Medway and Geraci; Medway and 

 Moldovan; Morimoto et al., 1921; Newman and McGeer, 1926; Quay, 1954; 

 RiDGWAY, 1965; Ridgway et al. 1968). 



A comparison of the percentage values of the différent types of leukocytes 

 found in the two species of Platanista brings to évidence a marked différence 

 in the percentage of eosinophilic granulocytes. It should, however, be borne in 

 mind that the P. indi are subadult spécimens and that nothing is known of the 



Rev. Suisse de Zool., T. 79, 1972. 16 



