SOME ASPECTS OF BIG-GAME UTILIZATION OF MINERAL LICKS IN YANKARI GAME RESERVE, NIGERIA

At least ten major mineral licks occur along the Gaji River which bisects the Yankari Game Reserve. The licks show varying degrees of utilization and have craters of up to 1200m³ in volume. Three hundred and eighty five hours of observation were kept at one of the licks. Its use by different species was highly variable. Some species occurring in the reserve made no visits to the lick, whereas Western hartebeest (51 groups), waterbuck (53 groups) and warthog (276 groups) made frequent visits. Lick use was much greater in the daytime than at night, with the peak occurring around 1400 h. A limited number of soil samples (29) were analysed but no single element can be considered as the factor attracting wildlife. However, the lick areas were richer in most minerals than were samples of soil from drier habitat in the open woodland. It is possible that significantly increased lick use might in the future indicate degrading environmental conditions in the drier parts of the reserve. If hides are constructed, the commonly utilized licks will provide excellent opportunities for behaviour observatioii and photography by tourists.     

New Fibrous Long Spacing Form of Collagen

PRECIPITATION of collagen from solution in the presence of chondroitin sulphates (or certain other glycosaminoglycans), followed by dialysis against water, leads to the formation of the fibrous long spacing (FLS) polymorphic form of collagen. Electron microscopy shows this to consist of banded fibrils with a periodicity in the range 1200–2400 Å and a symmetric intraperiod structure, in contrast to the 600–700 Å periodicity and polarized fine structure characteristic of native collagen fibrils. FLS was originally reported by Highberger et al.^1–3 and has been observed in three principal modifications, FLS I, FLS II and FLS III, differing in periodicity and arrangement of dense bands^4–6. This letter reports a new form of FLS, denoted FLS IV.     

Storage Polysaccharide in Coccidial Sporozites after Excystation and Penetration of Cells

SYNOPSIS. Eimeria acervulina, E. necatrix , and E. meleagrimitis sporozoites were examined for carbohydrates by cytochemical methods during dormancy, after excystation, and after penetration of cells. The only carbohydrate found was amylopectin, a homogeneous polymer of glucose. It was distributed in 3 regions: (a) in front of the anterior refractile globule, (b) around the nucleus, and (c) behind the posterior refractile globule. The relative amounts decreased after excystation and penetration of cells until only small amounts remained around the nucleus. The quantity of amylopectin decreased following excystation from 30.0-36.7 to 9.4-13.3 μg glucose/10⁶ oocysts. Over a 6 yr period of storage at 4 C, there was a decrease in the quantity of amylopectin in dormant sporozoites of E. acervulina from 33.3 μg glucose/10⁶ oocysts at 3 mos to 1.5 μg at 6 years. Coincidentally, 3 month- and 1 year-old oocysts of E. acervulina produced patent infections in chicks with a dosage of 5 × 10⁴ oocysts, but only a few of the oocysts that had been stored for 2 years were infective; a dosage of 2 × 10⁶ oocysts was necessary to produce a patent infection. Oocysts which had been stored 6 years did not produce a patent infection.
It was concluded that amylopectin is the energy source for excystation and subsequent penetration of cells. Small amounts of amylopectin are used during dormancy and, when the content in the sporozoite falls below a certain level, the sporozoites lack sufficient energy to infect cells.     

Observations on Eimeria tenella in Feces of Inoculated Chickens

SYNOPSIS. In studies on coccidial excystation, Eimeria tenella sporulated oocysts were fed to 5 individually caged chickens, and during the next 4.5 hours, all droppings were collected immediately after excretion, mixed with 0.85% NaCl solution, then promptly examined for the parasites. Some samples were placed in cold storage at 4 C and examined at intervals thereafter. Three of the birds were necropsied after 5 hours and the intestinal contents examined. Apparently unbroken oocysts containing active sporozoites were in chicken droppings beginning 1–2.25 hours postinoculation; some activated forms were inside and others outside the sporocysts. Free sporozoites, sometimes numerous, first appeared in the feces 1.1–2 hours postinoculation. At necropsy, the state and condition of the parasites in the lumen of bird intestines were similar to those in its last fecal dropping. After being in cold storage for 48 hours, free sporozoites inside and outside the oocysts became active and moved about when placed on the warming stage of the microscope.     

Biochemical Comparison of Some Classical Tetrahymena pyriformis and T. vorax Strains*

SYNOPSIS. The classical Tetrahymena pyriformis and T. vorax strains have been classified in antigenic subgroups based on immobilization and agar double diffusion in the presence of specific antisera. The present study utilized disc electrophoresis of proteins and lactate dehydrogenase isozymes for comparison of 11 strains. In agreement with similarities reported for agar diffusion data, close electrophoretic relationships were observed between strains GL and H, and V₂ and W with aniline black staining. Altho LDH isozyme production was more variable and related to cultural growth phase, similarities were recognized between GL and H, and F and PR.     

Some early works on heliconiine butterflies and their biology (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae)

In the course of a survey of the history of the study of Heliconiinae, particularly their biology, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries it is shown that Heliconius nigromarginatus (Goeze) and H. pallescens (Goeze) are nomina oblita , and that H. cinereofuscus (Goeze) is not, as always supposed, a species in its own right. A new name is proposed for H. melpomene cybele (Cramer). The origin and application of some of Linnaeus' names is discussed.
Illustrations of Heliconius by Seba, Clerck, Petiver and Cramer show that three species, melpomene, erato and doris have been polymorphic at least since the middle of the eighteenth century.
The Indo-Australian genus Cethosia should probably be included in the Heliconiinae.     

Range of Variation in the Somatic Infraciliature and Contractile Vacuole Pores of Tetrahymena pyriformis

SYNOPSIS. Meridian ranges and contractile vacuole pore patterns were determined for 36 strains of Tetrahymena pyriformis, including most of the “classic” amicronucleate and micronucleate strains used by many investigators, plus a dozen other strains not previously characterized with respect to these two morphological features. Uniform axenic culturing and staining techniques were employed. Meridian ranges and modes are analyzed with strain-by-strain comparisons to the reports of previous investigators. The overall inclusive range of the 36 strains was 15–25 meridians. Modes for individual strains varied from 16 to 23. Broader ranges and, especially, higher modes and higher limits are recorded than those reported by Corliss (1953) for strains grown in bacterized hay cultures. Two postoral meridians are characteristic, although a single individual having only one and a few having three postorals were observed. Three postorals were found only in those strains having the higher number of total meridians. A few individuals, showing an anterior half or a posterior half of a bipolar meridian missing, indicate a possible explanation of how a single dividing individual could produce a proter and an opisthe differing in the total number of meridians. Meridian ranges of individual strains do not overlap each other in all cases, but they do constitute a progressively overlapping series which does not warrant taxonomic separation of strains at either extreme from each other. Contractile vacuole pores varied from 1 to 3, with 2 pores (1 each in meridians 5 and 6) being characteristic of 22 of the strains. The 2-pore 6-7 pattern was modal for 8 of the strains. Presence of 3 pores (in 5, 6 and 7) was typical of only 2 strains, but 3 pores were found occasionally. Another pattern of 3 pores (in 6, 7 and 8) was observed occasionally in 10 strains. Double pores (in 6 and 7 or 7 and 8) and the triple pore patterns were observed only in the strains having the highest total number of meridians. These variations are not considered adequate justification for taxonomic separation. Strains Ki and Aq are affirmed to be T. pyriformis. Strains V¹ PP and V, formerly regarded as strains of T. vorax, are considered to be T. pyriformis, supporting the view of Shaw and Williams (1963).     

Eimeria scholtysecki n. sp. from Ord's Kangaroo Rat Dipodomys ordii*

SYNOPSIS. Eimeria scholtysecki n. sp. is described from Ord's kangaroo rat Dipodomys ordii. The sporulated oocysts are broadly ovoid to ellipsoid, averaging 24.6 by 19.6 μ. A polar granule is present. A micropyle and oocyst residuum are absent. The ovoid sporocysts average 12.1 by 8.0 μ, and have small, flattened Stieda bodies. The distinctive sporocyst residuum is composed of coarse granules. The mean prepatent period was 8.2 days. Five inoculated rats apparently became reinfected and discharged oocysts for 30 days or more.     

Ultrastructural Observations on the Development of the Microsporidian Protozoon Plistophora hyphessobryconis Schaperclaus*

SYNOPSIS. A sequence of developmental stages of Plistophora hyphessobryconis Schaperclaus, a microsporidian protozoan parasite of the muscular tissue of several species of freshwater fishes, was studied with the electron microscope. The youngest stages observed, ca. 4 × 2 μ, have a single nucleus and their plasm contains only ergastoplasmic lamellae and ribosomes. They are surrounded by a halo of lysed host tissue. They increase in volume to become large sporonts with a great number of nuclei and a thick, 2-layered membrane. Thru schizogony, a corresponding number of sporoblasts is produced within this pansporoblast membrane. Sporoblasts start to develop a thick spore membrane, and a number of smooth-membraned vesicles appear in the plasm. These vesicles fuse to make the outer membrane of the filament. Later, its inner structures originate—the axial electron-dense substance, filling the hollow lumen of the filament, and a middle, electron-transparent layer. The structure of the filament is discussed in relation to its function and with regard to the findings of other authors. The polaroplast is a laminated structure, originating possibly by transformation of endoplasmic reticulum; the polar cap forms its apical part. The cap is also lamellar; its substance reaches into the lumen of the filament for a certain distance. No micropyle was discovered in the shell; the filament is fastened to the polar cap. These observations on microsporidian development and on the structure of their spores are compared with similar data on myxosporidian species. Such a comparison speaks clearly in favor of the complete taxonomic separation of the Microsporidea from the Myxosporidea, the latter being quite different also from other sporozoa sensu lato.