320 Haemogregarines 
for these statements. Further, I would point out that I have examined 
haemogregarines in eight different genera of snakes and from a study of 
the parasites not only in the peripheral blood but also in the organs, I 
believe they belong to the same species. On the contrary Sambon and 
Seligmanu make every haemogregarine they see in different species of 
snakes’ peripheral blood a new species even in spite of the fact that 
they studied the parasites in this country when probably not a single 
snake had a tick on it. Without infecting a snake through the agency 
of the right tick and then studying the various forms of the parasites 
that appear in the blood and the organs of the snake, I do not see 
how it is possible to speak of the parasites in the peripheral blood as 
sclnzonts, sporonts, etc. 
During the 2^ years I have studied these intracellular parasites I have 
not felt myself justified in recording the results of my observations, as I 
considered my work would in no way advance our knowledge of these 
parasites, but after reading Sambon and Seligmann’s papers I feel 
it is right I should recor’d them, even though they are negative. 
Many keen observers in the tropics just beginning the study of these 
parasites and with excellent material at hand, on reading Sambon and 
Seligmann’s papers, may come to the conclusion that there is nothing 
new to be learnt about them. I would like to advise them that this is 
not the case and that in my opinion the work of Sambon and Seligmann, 
instead of adding to our knowledge of these parasites, has increased the 
confusion already existing. 
Note. While the above article was in the press a paper by Prowazek 
came to my notice. Prowazek speaks of free vermicides and cysts 
having a membrane with a double contour. The parasites he describes 
occurred in the Pentastome from a Python infected with Haemogre - 
garina pythonis. He suggests that the cysts represent a further 
development of the haemogregarine. In November 1905, I examined 
a large number of Peutastomes ( Porocephalus pattoni, Stephens) which 
are very common in the lungs of the rat snake Zamenis mucosus and 
found they were infected with what I then thought represented 
developmental forms of the haemogregarine of the snake. In addition 
to many free vermicules the Pentastomes contained cysts with a 
membrane having a double contour and containing smaller cysts full of 
spindle shaped bodies. I uow know these cysts represent part of the 
cycle of a parasite peculiar to the Pentastome and have nothing to do 
with the haemogregarine of the snake. 
