1919.] Bore.—Haemogregarina in New Zealand Lizards. 
163 
THE OCCURRENCE OF HAEMOGREGARINA IN NEW 
ZEALAND LIZARDS. 
By A. B. Bore. 
Hitherto the parasitic haemogregarines of New Zealand have received 
very little attention, and it may therefore be of interest to record the pre¬ 
sence of a blood-parasite in a native lizard, Lygosoma moco. The majority 
of the specimens studied were collected by myself from the Makara district, 
near Wellington, and of these 40 per cent, were found to be affected. The 
same parasite has also been detected in specimens of the same host collected 
by Dr. J. Allan Thomson at Stephen Island and the Trio Islands. The 
majority of the lizards examined were found to be infested with small red 
ticks, especially in the arm-pits, if such an expression may be used for 
a quadruped. Further observa¬ 
tions are being conducted on these 
ecto-parasites in regard to their 
relation as intermediate hosts. 
The following descriptions relate 
to a specimen of Lygosoma moco 
captured among the rocks on the 
beach two miles south of the 
Makara Stream on the 17th Feb¬ 
ruary, 1918. Blood films were pre¬ 
pared direct from the heart, fixed 
in absolute alcohol, and stained by 
Giemsa’s method. 
The Parasites in Fresh Blood .— 
When examined under the Jin. 
objective the parasites are slightly 
refractive, and appear slightly 
longer and more slender than in 
the films stained with Giemsa. No 
nucleus can be detected. 
The Parasites stained. — The intracellular parasites appear as oval, 
slightly curved bodies with their concave surfaces facing the nuclei of the 
erythrocytes. The bodies of the parasites are enclosed in a capsule or 
membrane which seldom retains the stain. The average measurements of 
the parasites are 12T g by 4T g, and of their nuclei 4*8 g by 4T g. 
The protoplasm of the parasites stains a light blue, sometimes slightly 
darker at the poles, and showing vacuolation. A few metachromatinic 
grains are occasionally observed. The nuclei of the parasites stains deeply 
and very unevenly, in shape often showing well-defined vacuolation. The 
position of the nucleus is usually central. The nuclei of the host cells 
are generally pushed to one side parallel to the long axis of the erythro¬ 
cyte. A few of the parasites are situated at an angle to the long axis of 
Fig. 1.—Tick from Lygosoma moco 
(enlarged). 
