ON FILARIjE of birds, 



in the pericardium of a honey-eater called Annelobia lunulata, and 

 one in the heart of a Soldier-bird, Myzantha garrula, these latte r 

 are males. 



The measurements are as follows in fractions of an inch : — 

 Butcher-bird — 4 females, nine-tenths by one-seventy-fifth. 



Annelobia lunulata — 1 male, half-an-inch by one one-hundred- 



and-twentieth. 



Soldier-bird — 1 male, three-fifths by one one-hundred-and- 

 fiftieth. 



I am unable to find a description of Filaria attenuata, so can- 

 not compare my specimens with that worm, but am inclined to 

 think that there are many different species of filaria in birds. 



During manipulation mature female worms are very prone to 

 uterine hernia. The uterus is entirely filled up with moving 

 embryos in every stage of development. 



In examining birds for embryo-filaria, it is best to cut out the 

 heart and press it gently against a slide so as to leave thereon a 

 little blood, put on a cover-glas^ and examine with a magnification 

 of about one hundred diameters. 



The blood in the heart contains worms often when they are not 

 to be found elsewhere. 



Immediately after the bird is shot is the proper time to 

 examine the blood, and then it is often possible to see ten or even 

 twenty worms in the field at once ; if the bird is left for six or more 

 hours it is difficult to find them, and after thirty hours impossible. 

 The worms soon die and are then quickly dissolved. Micrometer 

 meapurements of the embryos from different birds shewed them to 

 be from 1/200" to 1/80" in length, and from 1/5000" to 1/4000" 

 in breadth ; one would imagine that they were the same species 

 in all birds, but it would be unwise to draw conclusions from the 

 similarity of form of immature worms and an examination of the 

 three different mature worms, I found, shew distinct specific differ- 

 ences. Whilst searching for the adult filaria? I obtained quite a 

 number of* other entozoa, consisting of various immature forms of 



