H^MATOZOA FROM SOME CEYLON REPTILES. 179 



alimentary tract of the leech the Haemogregarine is easily to be 

 distinguished ; it becomes motile in the intestine, and at a later 

 stage the parasites disappear. They may perhaps pierce through 

 the intestinal wall as described by Siegel, but I am not as yet at 

 all certain upon the point. 



The other tortoise, Emyda vittata, is a true aquatic creature ; it 

 harbours in its blood both a Trypanosome and an interesting 

 Hsemogregarine — I propose to call these provisionally Trypanosoma 

 vittatce and Hcemogregarina vittatce, as this confuses their ultimate 

 classification less than any other method of nomenclature. 



The Trypanosome is a large creature, rather reminiscent of 

 Trypanosoma raice in its general appearance. The kinetonucleus 

 is rod-shaped, and lies at a considerable distance from the non- 

 flagellate tip of the animal ; there is a very well developed frilled 

 membrane. The trophonucleus generally hes rather near to the 

 kinetonucleus, but in some specimens is much further forward. 

 The myonemata of this species are to be seen with remarkable 

 clearness, particularly in the live state during certain phases. The 

 analysis of its various methods of locomotion is interesting, but I 

 do not propose to go into it just now ; suffice it to say that it shows 

 at times a very characteristic spiral movement. In fact, although 

 this is a distinctly massive trypanosome, it frequently executes the 

 corkscrew figure backwards and forwards, so characteristic of such 

 a spirochaet as, for instance, Spirochceta anodontce, only, of course, 

 the movement is much slower. If a slide with infected blood is 

 sealed and kept for from 12 to 24 hours, small chrythidial flageUates 

 are seen to appear. The first time I came upon these I was much 

 surprised, and hoped not unnaturally that they had arisen from 

 the many hsemogregarines which were also present in the blood. 

 The conditions were repeated, and I was able to follow on the live 

 specimens the development of these small forms from the large 

 trypanosome.* 



I can only, in a paper of this type, give the barest sketch of the 

 process. The trypanosome roUs itself up and the flagellum breaks 

 free, but generally still remains attached at the kinetonucleus end. 

 The flagellum is motile for a long time, but finally comes to rest, 

 lying often in an untidy tangle round the creature. The trjrpano- 

 some divides into two, the daughter individuals generally remaining 

 more or less in contact ; a further division into two occurs ; the 

 divisions in every case involve both the tropho and the kinetonucleus. 

 The result of these divisions is a group of four often very irregular 

 little creatures. They become pear-shaped, and put out each 



* A somewhat similar multiplication of trypanosomes has been already 

 observed by Franca (Bull. Soc. Port. Sciences Nat.) and by Button, Todd, 

 and Tobey, Ann. of Trop. Med. and Parasit. 1, No. 3, 1907- Both these 

 cases deal with the trj^anosomes of frogs, but I have not as yet had the 

 opportunity of seeing the original papers. 



2 o 7(12)08 



