A Study of Some Grcgarincs 7 



it in primites seems to argue against this view. It occurs quite 

 commonly in the reduced epimerite of this gregarine and hence is 

 not of the same nature as the scarification commonly following 

 the loss of more elaborate epimerites {vide Liihe 1904). It might 

 perhaps serve this form, on occasion, as an aid in temporary at- 

 tachment to the intestinal wall of its host, and in fact I have occa- 

 sionally found small gregarines in contact with the intestinal wall, 

 in sections, with the tip of the protomerite or epimerite. 



The deutomerite, aside from flexion, is less variable in shape 

 than the protomerite, but may vary from cylindrical to truncate 

 conical and obovate, or, rarely, show a biconcave outline due to 

 a shallow median annular depression medianally. Changes of 

 shape due to flexion involve the deutomerite rather than the 

 protomerite from the very nature of the case. 



The epicyte in this gregarine is notably clear and distinct. The 

 longitudinal striations first described by Leidy (1849) ^^^ very 

 pronounced, more so than in Grcgarina hlattcrum or Stciioplinra 

 jiili. These are especially clear after crushing the gregarine to 

 remove the endoplasm (fig. 7), and I have even found them 

 printed on a glass slide where a gregarine had been killed and 

 had fallen ofif in mounting. Thin sections show that the epicyte 

 has a set of fine parallel lamellae similar to those of Lophoccpha- 

 liis insignis and belonging in the general category of longitudinal 

 ribbings possessed by most gregarines (fig. 7). These lamellae 

 do not converge in curv^es at the posterior end of the deutomerite 

 as Schewiakofif (1894) described them for Gregarina (Clcpsid- 

 riiia) municri and Wasielewski (1896) has stated as a general 

 truth, but converge instead at an acute angle (fig. 6). 



The nature of the longitudinal striation commonly visible in 

 gregarines has been the subject of much discussion since it was 

 first noticed. Quite commonly it is referred to the longitudinal 

 ribbings for its cause (Wasielewski, 1896). Lankester (1872) 

 expressed the opinion that the striation might be in the cuticle, 

 or in the cortical substance (sarcocyte) as permanent fibrillae, or 

 on the inner surface of the cortex as temporary folds, and is in- 

 clined to regard the latter as the cause of the longitudinal stria- 

 tion. Biitschli (1882) regards the longitudinal striation as due to 



155 



