ON ENTOZOA FROM ANIMALS WHICH DIED IN THE GARDENS. 405 



22. Repori, on Enlozoa collected from Animals which died 

 in the Zoological Gardens of London during Eight 

 Months of 1919-1920. Bv G. M. Vevers, M.R.C.S., 

 L.R.O.P., F.Z.S., Beit Memorial Research Fellow, 

 Demonstrator in Helminthology at the London School 

 of 'I'ropical Medicine, and Honor.-irv Parasitologist to 

 the Zoological Society of London. 



[Received June 1, 1920 : Read June 1, 1920.] 



During the past eight months I have made an attempt to 

 examine systematicnllj for Eutozoa all animals dying in the 

 Gardens, and have attended post-mortem examinations of four 

 hundred animals for this purpose. 



Before the body was actually opened, a microscopical exami- 

 nation of the fa?ces was made, whenever practicable, for ova. and 

 embryos of Entozoa which would give some indication of the 

 parasites harboured, and would direct attention to the particular 

 regions for special search. 



Whether this preliniinary investigation gave a positive or 

 negative result, a subsequent search of all organs was carried out. 



I have also applied rdiis method of diagnosis to living animals 

 in the Gardens, and these examinations have in some cases given 

 positive results. On the death of the animal the diagnosis has 

 been confirmed by the discovery of the adult parasites ; for 

 example, the Cylichnostomes recorded from the Grevy's Zebra in 

 the accompanying chart were detected in this manner. 



Of the four hundred animals examined 76 or 19 per cent, were 

 found to harbour parasites. 



into the 



The Eutozoa 

 Classes : — 



Platyhelmia. 



Nemathelmia. 



found fall 



Cestoda 



Trematoda, 



Nematoda 



canthocephnJa 



Total 



following 



Phyla and 



Number 





of Species 



Percentage. 



found. 



15 



21-40 



7 



10-00 



45 



64-40 



3 



4-20 



70 



100-00 



In all cases of Nematoda and Acanthocephala there was a pre- 

 ponderance of female forms. In four cases females only were 

 found. There were 13 animals which harbou-ed more than oue 

 species of parasite. In a Leopard Cat (Felis heagale'nsis) as many 

 as five different species were found. 



The matei"ial aflbrde<^l a valuable opportnnitv of determining 



27^ 



