4 
Anaplcmna-like Bodies 
Also in two (living) specimens, a Petaurus hreviceps and a Pseudo- 
chirus peregrinus, there were, besides the typical spherical anaplasms, 
deeply staining elongated pear- or almost wedge-shaped bodies about 
1'7 g in length, both intra- and extra-corpuscular. These were grouped, 
often with the coccus-like bodies, in a way exactly comparable to those 
shown by Bruce and others {loc. cit, PI. X, Fig. 3 in the top five cells). 
Significance of the presence of these bodies. 
While the majority of the native animals examined, both living and 
dead, belonged to the Melbourne Zoological Gardens, one (a young living 
Echidna) was obtained direct from the country, and several of the others 
were recent arrivals at the Gardens. 
All animals of the same species, even within the same pens, do not 
apparently contain these bodies, e.g. of four living Macropus ruficollis 
var. hennettii examined two alone showed their presence, and of two 
Onychogale frenata but one was affected. In the only Petrogale peni- 
cillata available none could be detected. 
So far as the Wallabies and the Echidnas are concerned no blood lesions 
existed, even in those which had died and were examined post-mortem. 
Unfortunately careful autopsies could not be made owing to the animals 
being required for anatomical purposes. In any case it is well known 
that among such animals kept in captivity the mortality is generally 
very great. 
From only one living animal (a Trichosurus vidpecula), which was 
evidently in a state of bad health, were smears obtained, and in these 
the bodies were found in large numbers. This “ opossum ” died 39 days 
later and was brought to the Laboratory some hours after death. There 
was, in addition to the ordinary blood lesions of anaemia, an unusually 
great number of normoblasts as well as very numerous coccus-like 
bodies, very many of which, both free aud endo-corpuscular, are indis¬ 
tinguishable from Anaplasina margincde, but there were also present 
numerous cocci and short and long bacilli. This animal was evidently 
suffering from a marked anaemia and reconstitution of the corpuscles 
following on a great loss of blood, the intestines being very full of blood. 
The cause of this haemorrhage could not be determined, there being no 
sign of physical injury. The examination however was incomplete. 
The most important point is that there was do defiuite increase in the 
number of anaplasms present in the blood, as compared with the 
number previously found. 
