UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PUBLICATIONS 



IN 



ZOOLOGY 



Vol. 16, No. II, pp. 127-138, plates 16-17 February 25, 1916 



THE GENERA MONOCERCOMONAS 

 AND POLYMASTIX 





OLIVE SWEZY [ '^Mh'vy 



CONTENTS ^^^1^/? 



1916 i 



; ».', 



PAGE 



Introduction 127 



The genus Monocercomonas 127 



The genus Polymastix 129 



Morphology of Polymastix bufonis 131 



Mitosis in Polymastix bufonis 132 



Summary 134 



Literature cited 135 



INTRODUCTION 



The genus Monocercomonas was founded by Grassi in 1881 foi- a 

 flagellate which he had found parasitic in the larvae of Gryllotalpa 

 and Melolontha, and designated Monocercomonas insectorum. In an 

 earlier memoir (1879) he described a flagellate from the larva of 

 Melolontha as Schedaeocercomonas melolonthae, and later in the same 

 year one from the larva of Gryllotalpa as S. gryllotalpae. These 

 flagellates, on further investigation, proved to be the same form, and 

 with his redescription of them in 1881 he proposed for them the new 

 name, Monocercomonas insectorum. 



The uncertainty of his information regarding their structure will 

 be evident from the fact that in 1879 he gave the name Trichomonas, 

 and in 1888 that of Trichomastix as synonyms for the forms which he 

 had observed and earlier designated as Monocercomonas. These three 

 names were confused by him and used interchangeably. In 1883 he 

 described a flagellate from man which he called Monocercomonas 

 hominis and which is undoubtedly a trichomonad. 



