80 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 
In the absence of more material, I can do little more here than 
record and figure the organism. 
The Parasites of White Ants. 
(1) Gymnonympha zeylanica, n. g., 0. 8p. 
As already recorded (p. 74), I found the termites* (Calotermes 
militaris) which I examined at Peradeniya infected with a protozoon 
belonging to the family Trichonymphide. 
The Trichonymphids are characterized by possessing a large 
number of flagella, which originally gave rise to their inclusion 
among the Ciliata. [See Butschli (1887), 8. Kent (1882), &c.] I 
have ‘little doubt, however, that they are really referable to the 
Mastigophora (cf. Doflein, 1909). It is curious to note that Leidy 
(1877), who first gave us an accurate description of these organisms, 
remarks—speaking of T'richonympha—that they are “of obscure 
affinity, but probably related with the Turbellaria on the one hand, 
and by evolution with the Ciliate Infusoria on the other.” 
The organisms which I found in Ceylon do not appear to belong 
to any of the genera ltitherto described. [See Leidy (1881), Grassi 
(1888), Grassi and Sandias (1893), Frenzel (1891).] Leidyonella 
(Frenzel, 1891) is the form which appears to approximate most 
nearly to my organisms. 
As far as I am aware, no Trichonymphids have been described 
from Asiatic white ants before, but it seems highly probable that 
these parasites occur in white ants throughout the world. They 
were apparently discovered by Lespes in Europe in 1856, and were 
subsequently described in North America (Leidy), in the Argentine 
(Frenzel), and in Europe (Grassi and others). The closely allied 
form Lophomonassis a frequent parasite of the common cockroach, 
Stylopyga orientalis. 
Gymnonympha zeylanica, as | propose to name the new organism, 
is distinguished by possessing comparatively few flagella, which are 
confined entirely to the anterior end of the body, as in Je@nia and 
Lophomonas, but there is no axostyle present. 
The general form of the animal (see fig. 1) is roughly ovoid or 
pyriform, but the body is so plastic that its shape is constantly 
undergoing change during life. At the extreme anterior end the 
body is drawn out into a small conical process surrounded by a 
curious vesicular cap (fig. 1). Where the cap unites, by its edges, 
with the conical process, the flagella arise, apparently in a single 
ring round the base of the cone. The length of the largest forms is 
about 150 vu. The flagella measure only about one-half of the length 
of the body. Running backwards from the point of origin of the 
flagella, a series of striations can be seen extending for about one- 
third of the length of the organism. These striations appear to be 
situated in the investing cuticle. 

* All the individuals examined were workers, 
