Observations on Plasmodium circumflexum Kikuth and P. vaughani Novy and Macneal from East Pakistan

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Abstract
A strain of P. circumflexum forming only 10-26 (average 14) merozoites is described from 4 of 76 examples of the common Indian mynah, Acridotheres tristis tristis (L.) and 5 of 42 examples of the Indian greyheaded mynah, Sturnus malabaricus mala-baricus (Gmelln); and a strain of P. vaughani that most commonly forms 6 merozoites is recorded from 2 of A. t. tristis and 7 of S. m. malabaricus. The Indian spotted dove, Streptopelia chinensis suratensis (Gmelin), and the Indian jungle mynah, A. fuscus fuscus (Wagler) are laboratory hosts for P. circumflexum. Specific criteria in the avian malaria parasites are briefly discussed, attention being drawn to the very close morphological resemblances between certain of the accepted species and the likelihood that some of these will prove to be no more than subspecies or strains of species described earlier. An analysis of haematozoan records is presented for 262 birds of 27 species examined in these studies. It is pointed out that the use of phase contrast lighting renders visible fine structural details which can no longer be made out by bright field methods in faded, Giemsa-stained blood films.
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