680 



GENUS: POLYMASTIX 



{Nyroca ferruginea and FuUca atra). The flagellate has an ovoid body 

 measuring 10 to 16 microns by 4 to 6 microns. There are three anterior 

 flagella as long as, or longer than, the body. They arise from an anteriorly 

 placed blepharoplast. The nucleus is situated near the centre of the body. 

 Arising from the blepharoplast, and passing backwards through the 

 cytoplasm, are two fibres. They pass one on each side of the nucleus, and 

 then run close together to the posterior extremity of the body, through 

 which they protrude as a pointed body. From the figures, these two fibres 

 appear as if they might be the margins of an axostyle. 



Fig. 283. — Polymastix melolonthce from Gut of Insect Larv.e (x 4,000). 



(After Mackinnon, 1913.) 



1. Ordinary type of flagellate. 2. Dividing form. 



Genus: Polymastix Biitschli, 1884. 

 Blitschli established this genus for a flagellate to which Grassi (1881a) 

 has referred as Trichomonas melolonthce from the intestine of the larva of 

 the cockchafer (Melolontha). Similar forms were discovered by Hamburger 

 (1911) in larvae of Cetonia sp., Mackinnon (1912, 1913) in larvae of Tipida 

 sp., and Franca (1913) in larvae of Oryctes nasicornis. The form studied by 



