[ l 7 ] 
3 years ago in this colony and had had chyluria for some time with filaria in 
his blood the disease in the case of his son was probably contracted in this 
country and not in Madras. 
J 
Culex fatigans , was shown to be here, as elsewhere, an efficient in¬ 
termediate host. 
Considering that the population is mainly imported from Ceylon, 
Southern India and China, and that in many parts of these countries 
Filariasis is prevalent, the scarcity of these parasites amongst the inhabitants 
calls for some comment. 
The explanation is, however, simple, as it is only in the larger settlements 
that the common efficient host is to be met with, and even in such places 
it is not often as numerous as in most parts of the tropics. 
These larger settlements are of recent date and are steadily increasing 
in size. Little doubt can be entertained that with the continued increase 
in these towns, with the overcrowding in these towns and the increasing 
abundant provision of suitable breeding grounds for efficient carriers as 
Culex fatigans, the occasional introduction of cases of filariasis will even¬ 
tuate in the infection of many persons and the addition of Elephantiasis and 
other filarial diseases to the number of important ailments in the country. 
These diseases were introduced into America and the West Indies, and now 
in places affect up to 20 per cent, of the population, Europeans, Asiatics and 
Africans alike. 
In the domesticated animals filaria are common. The classification of 
the Filaridae is very difficult, and several of the points laid down are difficult 
to determine. On account of the uniformity in the simple condition of 
parasitic life no doubt many structures are imperfectly developed. Even 
the characteristics of the family, the absence of an oesophageal bulb, 
presence of preanal papillae, a single or two unequal spicules in the male 
and two ovarian tubes in the female, are not constant even in worms wffiich 
are ordinarily included in the family. The inclusion in this description of 
worms which in other characters and in their habits correspond to the 
Filaridae is made for convenience and whilst awaiting a sound comprehensive 
classification of the group. 
Two species of Spiroptera were found. The S. Sanguinolenta already 
mentioned in dogs, and Spiroptera reticulata in tumors from near the shoulder 
in bullock beef. This Spiroptera is highly exceptional in the Bovidae, but 
I am assured by Mr. Ford who found the tumors, that the meat w r as that 
of a bullock. Those worms are readily recognised by the spiral ridges in 
the cuticle. The interlacing of these ridges and processes from them gives 
a peculiar reticular appearance characteristic of this worm. 
In the horse the Filaria Oculi Equi was found on several occasions, but 
is not very common and seems to be rare for long periods. On one horse 
a few sharp-tailed sheathless filarial embryos were found in the blood. 
Subsequent examinations no embryo could be found and the parental forms 
were not discovered at a post-mortem examination. 
In the Bovidae extra-ocular filaria are fairly common and correspond 
to the descriptions of Filaria lachrymalis it does not appear to cause more 
than a slight conjunctivitis. 
The mature female filaria measure 2 cm. and are .18 mm. in breadth. 
The two ovarian tubes open into a dilated vagina .25 mm. in length. The 
genital opening is 1.1 mm. from the head. Ova not embryos were contained 
in the vagina. Mouth terminate and unarmed. Junction of oesophagus 
2 
f 
