80 
Filaria loa 
Foran, who found Filaria diurna in the blood of 12'5®/j of 826 
natives of South Nigeria, noted an outflowing of substance at the 
anterior V spot. This may have been due to weakness at this point 
for Ashburn and Craig noted the same in some of their specimens. In 
my specimens there is a distinct bulging of the ovoid body at the 
anterior V spot, yet it cannot be represented to be so large as in the 
sketch of Foran. 
Livon and Penaud noted that some had blunt tails. Many years 
ago O’Nielly and O’Neil observed microfilariae which had two specks at 
the head, alimentary canals, “ bluntly pointed ” tails, and which died 
shortly after being placed upon the glass slides. 
Some of the embryos which I had left sealed in water were examined 
two weeks later. Degeneration had set in; besides the two V spots, 
which did not show up so clearly, there were other spots which caused 
some confusion as they were not so distinct, nor were they in focus and 
highly refractile at the same time-as the known V spots. The lines and 
anatomy were not so clearly defined as in the fresh living embryos and 
it is easy to see why the filariae found in the blood have been variously 
described. When all of the various preparations were examined one 
month later it was found that the sheaths of the specimens stained by 
fuchsin were no longer disceimible; that the embryos in the wet 
preparations presented irregular masses in the anterior portion of the 
body as well as several vacuoles which might be taken to be V spots ; 
that the ovoid masses were no longer easily distinguishable; and that 
the tails had lost their “plumpness,” being flabby and drawn out 
posteriorly, and in some preparations which had been disturbed they 
were folded upon themselves. The sheaths of some of the embryos in 
the wet preparations were collapsed and extended as a linear projection 
fore and aft. Hence it may be seen that it is impossible to determine 
any definite morphological characteristics except in fresh embryos, which 
present a definite form, granular specks at the head, alimentary canal, 
and two ovoid masses definitely situated and representing without 
doubt the beginning of undifferentiated organs. 
