58 



ON FILARI^E OF BIRDS, 



Specific characters are distinct — the shaft is much more 

 depressed than in the recent species — towards the distal expansion 

 it is also twisted more strongly inwards, the inward direction of the 

 median trochlea being more distinctly marked. This trochlea is 

 moreover considerably narrower — the inner anconal edge of the 

 shaft is not rounded off, but like the outer, forms a continuous linear 

 ridge. The intertrochlear foramen is preceded by a very short 

 portion of the groove-like depression of the shaft on its anconal 

 aspect which in B. lobata is co-extensive with it. In the recent 

 species there is on the side of the shaft immediately below the outer 

 articular cavity an excavation of some size — of this pit no trace 

 appears in the fossil. 



The fossil is approximately two-thirds of the size of the 

 metatarse of a male B. lobata. We do not, however, derive from 

 this any precise idea of the relative size of the bird, since the sexes 

 differ so widely in dimensions — if from a male it would represent a 

 smaller, if from a female a larger species. 



Locality — Chinchilla, Darling Downs. 



Our attention is, by this fossil, once more called to the fact 

 that the ' anomalies' among Australian vertebrates are but the more 

 persistent portions of its archaic faunas. 



ON FILARLE OF BIRDS ; 



By THOS. L. BANCROFT, M.B. 



This investigation was undertaken with the hope that any 

 knowledge gained therefrom might be of service in elucidating 

 some of the problems of the life-history of Filarial 



The Crow of Europe harbours a blood-parasite called Filaria 

 attenuata. It was, therefore, of interest to ascertain if the crows of 

 Austria harboured this or any similar parasite. It was easily and 

 soon ascertained, for the blood of the first crow examined abounded 



