natural, history

and taper posteriorly, the caudal extremity sometimes appearing hooked~eriorly(Figs. 30,31,34). Fifty of them measured 56.5 to 106.6 !L (av., 79.0 IL) by 3.0 to5.0 !L (av., 4.0 fL). Just behind the anterior end the nuclei of the somati:: cells divideto enclose a U-shaped space (Figs. 32, 35). A prominent central body, which stainsless deeply than the surrounding nuclei, is always apparent. The nerve ring (Figs. 30,31) is seldom evident, but the excretory and first and second genital cells usually are.Relative distances of these structures from the anterior end, expressed as percentages(to the nearest whole number) of overall length, are as follows. -Nerve ring ............. 21 ~~ (18-24 /~)Excretory cell .......... , 34 ~.~ (31-38 %)Central body ........... 62 /'~ (58-67 %)First genital cell . . . . . . . .. 73 /~ (70-77 %)Second genital cell ...... 85 ~~ (81-88 (~)Microfilariae have been recorded from Halcyon smyrnemisfusca in Portuguese India(VALLES. 1938), and adult Filarioidea are known from several kingfishers of thisgenus. Thus Diplotriaena sokolowi Skrjabin, 1916, parasitizes H. senegaloides (ref.from YORKE & MAPlEsTOsE. 1926). and VUYlSTEKE (1953) described Te(racheilonemarodhailli from another African host, H. alhiventris orientalis. JOHNSTON & MAwsdN(1940) proposed the name of Hamatospiculum hOll'ense for a parasite of Halcyonragan!> from Lord Howe Island, and another even more pertinent Pacific record isthat of TUBASGUI (1934), who described Hamato.lpiculum leticiae from a PhilippineIslands subspecies of Halc~roll chloris. As adult worms were not collected from theRennell subspecies, its parasite cannot be linked with any of these. In any event, thespecies in question is not characterized by strict host specificity, for filarial larvaeagreeing in all respects with those from H. chloris amoena occur in the blood ofZoster0f!s flarifrons majuscula on the island of Aneityum, New Hebrides (originalobservation). Morphologically similar microfilariae were reported from a Sudanesehornbill and guinea fowl by NEAVE (1906), who gave their length as 65 to 105 !Land stated that "spots 2 and 3" (the excretory cell and central body) arc constantlyevident at 33.4 ~ 0 and 59.3 ~.~ of the overall length from the anterior end.The Pacific species described herein is assigned to the genus Microfilaria Cobbold.a name used as a collective designation for young larval Filarioidea, especially whenfound in the blood (YORKE & MAPLESTONE, 1926). It is proposed to call it Microfilariabruuni n. sp. in recognition of Dr. ANTON FR. BRUUN'S scientific leadership ofthe Galathea Expedition.TYPE MATERIALThe type slides of Haemoproteus galatheae. H. c1elandi. H. johnstoni and Microfilariahruuni. have been deposited in the collection of the Dominion Museum,Wellington, New Zealand.••