INTESTINAL FLAGELLATES IN GENERAL 123 



The intestinal flagellates of termites are very numerous in species 

 and complicated in morphology. They have been studied recently 

 especially by Grassi (1917), Kofoid and Swezy (1919), Koidzumi 

 (1921), Cleveland (1923, 1924, 1928), Kirby (1926) and others. 

 They belong to the family dinenymphid^ and especially to the 

 family trichoxymphid^ of the order hypermastigida. To this 

 order belongs also the flagellate Lophomonas hlattarimi, a common 

 inhabitant in the intestine of the cockroach. Another family of 

 termite flagellates, the calonymphid^, was founded by Grassi 

 and is the only family in the order polymonadida. 



Among the genera of particular interest in the order diplo- 

 MONADiDA are Hcxainita, Giardia, and Trepomonas. The genus 

 Giardia is discussed in Chapter XI\\ He. rami fa occurs both in 

 fresh water and in the intestine of certain animals. H. miiris is 

 commonly present in the small intestine of rats and mice. A num- 

 ber of other species have been reported from birds, reptiles, am- 

 phibians, fish and insects. Trepomonas agilis is a peculiar flagellate 

 that is coprozoic in habit and has been reported in human feces. 



It is quite evident from a survey of intestinal flagellates that 

 only a beginning has been made in the study of these organisms. 

 Large numbers of species still undescribed are no doubt to be 

 found in our commonest laboratory and domesticated animals. 

 These species need to be described and named and their life-cycles 

 worked out. IMethods of transmission and host-parasite relations 

 and host-parasite specificity would well repay study. The methods 

 of procedure and the types of problems available may be inferred 

 from the more detailed discussions of problems and methods in 

 other chapters of this book. 



