HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIF. 



77 



the infusorians I have described above are confined to 

 the ileum and colon of the white ant. I have not 

 yet observed them in the oesophagus, or the proventri- 

 culus, or the chylific ventricle. In passing, I may 

 note that the "gizzard " of the white ant is a curious 

 organ, and well worth examination. The questions 

 arise : how, and in what stage do the parasites gain 

 admission to the lower portions of the intestine ? 

 They have to run the gauntlet of the "gizzard." It 

 must be remembered that much of the food-stuff con- 

 sumed by the insect-host would be congenial to the 

 lower forms of life : the white ant flourishes in damp 

 houses, lower and insufficiently raised floors, and 

 damp places generally. The limitation of the parasites 



in the alimentary canal of our white ants. I have 

 found a moniliform organisation (C C) in the renal 

 excretory tubes of the insect, which may be an alga. 

 In some cases I have met with myriads of non-ciliated 

 bodies (B) of an irregular, elongated shape, containing 

 vacuole-like spaces ; also, with (A) circular, nucleated, 

 non-ciliated, unicellular organisms ; both of these may 

 be immature stages in the development of other forms. 

 I have frequently met with Nematoid worms ; in 

 many instances hosts of bacteria and spirilla {D)have 

 presented themselves. Briefly, the intestinal tract of 

 our white ants here teems with parasitic forms of life. 

 I have purposely confined my attention to only two 

 types of that life, but it is obvious that a wide and 



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ml- 



^ ,' i (/^-'/'^y- <^ 



Fig. 6s. 



to the portionsiof the intestine specified, for one thing 

 serves to show that food is there obtainable in a state 

 suited to the requirements of the infusoria. The life- 

 history of the parasite still has to be worked out. Is 

 it a case of degeneration, or the reverse ? Its evolu- 

 tionary history, which may be shadowed in its life- 

 history, would be deeply interesting. I have not 

 succeeded in keeping it alive for any length of time, 

 but there may be media (albumen diluted to the 

 proper strength, which I have not yet hit upon), in 

 which its life could be prolonged for the purposes of 

 continued observation. 



In closing, I should observe that the infusoria de- 

 scribed above, are only two of the forms which abound 



promising field of research awaits observation in the 

 parasites which find a habitat in the digestive organs 

 of the termites of Bengal. 

 Calcutta. 



Note. — From a ruptured specimen of Parasite 

 No. I, obtained since the foregoing paper was 

 written, I have secured a preparation of the cuticle 

 which shows with a high power (Seibert's ^ in. water 

 immersion), that the parallel spiral markings are due 

 to the distribution of the cilia in parallel lines (Fig. 55). 

 Observations made during the last week induce me 

 to regard what I have termed " the pharyngeal tube," 

 as chitinous, but this needs confirmation. 



