— 51 — 



Trii'liomoiuuiN* always con.sists of two fiiic iliroa<ls which first 

 run parallel one to another, aiiij al'irrwanls jr)iii ui the pos- 

 terior end. Such a stnteiiienl is too cathe<^orical even for typi- 

 cal Trichoinonads. 



It seems to nie ihal it is un<loult!(Mlly estahlished for 

 Giijtmfnjnonas, and possihly for the Trichonionads, that the 

 axostyle more likely presents either a tuft of fine fibres, or, 

 in other cases, a tube, the walls of which arc composed of 

 numerous fibres. Siieh a tube may widen anteriorly, so as to 

 envelope tlic nucleus, as, e. 'fi;., \u Trirhoi/Ktstix mofellae Q.cci)T- 

 ding- to Alexcieff (8); and, as it seems, in Gigmifonionas, 

 and in some Trichonym phidae. 



The body of Gifjantoinonas has a very constant shape, 

 which points to the presence of a rather compact pellicule. 

 There is no differentiation into an ectoplasm and endoplasm; 

 all the protoplasm is of a homogeneous, finely granulated 

 character. There are no vacuoles to be found in lite plasm. 

 and food inclusions are also altogether absent. 



It has been frequently observed, with respect to different 

 Trichonionads, that there is a temporary transition to the 

 amoeboid condition: pseudopodia are let out etc. I have also 

 made one observation of this character. Namely, one speci- 

 men of Ginavtomonas was of a purely amoeboid character 

 (tab. I, fig. 8). The body being compressed flatly had a rhom- 

 bic shape, its plasm was differentiated into a lighter and 

 homogeneous ectoplasm, and a darker endoplasni. The fla- 

 gella and the chromidium were absent. The nucleus was nor- 

 mal, and the undulating membrane bent in the shape of 

 letter S was situated on one of the flat sides of the body. 

 The typical transparent axostyle was remarkable for its short 

 size and lay wholly inside the body, being separated from 

 the nucleus. The most interesting fact was the presence of 

 large food-inclusions in the form of particles of wood and 

 some kinds of spores inside the body. 



It is very difficult to judge from one fact how far such a 

 change in the form of the body is normal. It might be a 

 very attractive supposition that in order to take in food 

 Gigantomonas must always pass into an amoel)oid state. In 

 this case the given Flagellate would afford us a transitory 

 form. (with respect to the manner of ingesting food) from the Tri- 



