— 5i4 — 
bas pointée! ont, the same speeies may occur in tlie muscles, as 
well as in connective tissue. 
It is customarv to interpret the sarcosporiclia founcl in the con¬ 
nective tissue spaces of the enelomysium as having originallv en- 
terecl a striateel muscle fiber and ultimately outgrown it, leaving 
no traces on its peripherv or capsule of its former muscular envi¬ 
ronment. When the parasites are found within a striateel muscle 
tins is no eloubt the correct interprétation, but in the case repor- 
teel here, the mature parasites were found verv freepiently in loca- 
lities where striateel muscle never occurs ; anel as parasites of the 
same âge were femnel in tliese tissues, as well as in striateel mus¬ 
cle, \ve must conclude that représentatives of sarcosporielia mav 
develop in connective tissue anel smooth muscle, as well as in 
striated muscle. For this reason the définition of sarcosporidia 
must be emended to incluele représentatives of the genus which 
from the very start loelge and develop in non-muscular tissue. 
A male opossum, weighing about 3-1/2 kilos, was caught at 
the elairv ed Ancon Hospital (Canal Zone) k"eb. 10, 1910. l'pon 
removing the skin from the abelomen a number of white, slightly 
oval, shottv nodules, 1-1/2 to 2 mm. in eliameter, were seen. Some 
came off with the sul^cutaneous connective tissue of the pelt, 
others were lodged in the muscle and fascia, and bulged up above 
the surface like millet seeds. Thev were evenlv, but not thickly, 
distributed, and were usuallv about i cm. apart. The parasites 
coLild be seen beneath the pelt of the lower abdominal wall and on 
the inner aspect of the thighs before the skin was removed. Onlv 
one was seen in the tail muscles and that was near its origin. The 
muscles of the fore legs and hind legs were only lightlv infected. 
d'hey were evenly, but not thicklv, distributed throughout the 
muscular System, usually about i cm. apart. The striated muscles 
of the following' parts were infected : Cheek, jaw, tongue, dia- 
phragm, intercostal, abdominal, dorsal, pharvngeal, larvngeal, 
legs and tail. Parasites were also fairlv numerous in the following 
situations : Heart, lungs, stomach, small intestine and its mesen- 
tery, pericardium, sub-maxilkarv gland and œsophagus. Parasi¬ 
tes could not be detected in the kidneys, liver, spleen, pancréas, 
bladder, gall bladder, external genitalia, nor the eye and its ex- 
trinsic muscles. 
