84 
SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 
Further observations on this particular case of Halteridium 
infection were cut short by the untimely death of the bird, which 
apparently fell a victim to some beast of prey during the night. 
Halteridium is a non-pathogenic parasite. (See additional note 
at end of paper). 
Hcemocystidium simondi, n. g. et sp. 
In the blood of a tree-dwelling gecko, Hemidactylus leschenaultii , 
taken at Mamadu near Yavuniya (Northern Province) in April of 
this year we have discovered an interesting pigmented endoglo- 
bular parasite which cannot be placed in any hitherto described 
genus of hsemamcebidse. It consists at the earliest observed 
stage of a small rather irregular or amoeboid body with a zone of 
pigment granules across the centre. At first the nucleus of the 
blood-corpuscle is only slightly displaced (fig. 10). 
The growth of the parasite leads to further displacement of the 
nucleus of the host-cell which becomes pushed to one end of the 
corpuscle. Sometimes the parasite is oval or somewhat irregular 
in contour ; sometimes it is round or lenticular. The elongated 
oval form nearly fills the corpuscle, only a narrow pink rim may 
be seen surrounding the blue body which moulds itself upon the 
nucleus of the blood-celi. Judging from the analogy of other cases 
it would seem that the spherical or discoidal form is the gameto- 
cyte or final stage of the trophozoite. 
In our preparations there are two very distinct types resembling 
each other in form, but differing in their reactions to Leishman’s 
stain. These no doubt represent sexual differences as in Halteri¬ 
dium and in other previously known cases. 
In the male type the body is faintly granular and stained a 
delicate pale blue, with small numerous pigment granules scattered 
round the periphery. In the other or female trophozbite the 
body is stained dark blue, the pigment granules though numerous 
appear to be slightly larger at times ; and varying numbers of 
vacuoles of different sizes are always present. In the pale form 
vacuoles never occur (figs. 12-13). 
We propose to name the new genus with the characters which 
we have described, Hcemocystidium , on account of its rounded, 
turgid, more or less bladder-like shape and appearance. The 
specific name is dedicated to Dr. P. L. Simond who has described 
a somewhat similar parasite, though of a different species, from 
Trionyx indicus , a fresh water tortoise common in the Ganges 
and Jumna.* 
* Dr. P. L. Simond, Contribution a l’etude des Hematozoaires endoglobulaires 
des Reptiles. Ann. Inst. Pasteur T XV.. 1901, pp. 319-350, see p. 338. 
