THE PARASITES OF THE TERMITES. 443 



The finest filaments appear homogeneous and inarticulate. The larger and 

 mature filaments, or those bearing spores, as represented in Figs. 28-32, reach 

 half a millimetre or more in length, and measure from 0.0015 mm. to 0.00375 

 mm. in thickness. Usually at their distal portion they exhibit a more or less long 

 series of spores, distinctly defined, giving to the filaments the appearance of 

 minute rows of beads. The number of spores in a row is variable, and sometimes 

 several rows occur, with a short interval, in the same filament. 



The spores are commonly oval or oblong, and lie longitudinally at pretty uni- 

 form distances apart; but occasionally they are a little oblique. They are strongly 

 marked, darkly outlined, transparent, and homogeneous, and resemble minute 

 oil-drops. Under a favorable disposition of the light each is seen to occupy a 

 separate articulation, and the partitions separating them are more or less dis- 

 tinctly observable, as represented in Figs. 31, 32. 



Commonly the spores measure about 0.003 mm. long by 0.0022 mm. broad. 



Sometimes filaments occur in which the spores lie together in pairs with a 

 slight separation between each spore, and wider spaces between the pairs, as seen 

 in Fig. 28. Other filaments appear in which the spores are proportionately much 

 longer than usual, and separated by wider intervals, as seen in Fig. 30. It would 

 seem from these latter kinds of filaments, as if the longer form of spores under- 

 went division in the production of the pairs. 



The filaments below the spore-bearing portions sometimes appear slightly 

 more attenuated and less distinctly or not articulated. 



Occasionally finer, homogeneous filaments of the plant grow upon the more 

 mature ones, as represented in Fig. 32. 



The Arthromitus of the Termite, by comparison with specimens of Arthromitus 

 cristatus, from our Wood-Julus, recently examined, prove the plants to be the 

 same. A bunch of Arthromitus from the latter animal is represented in Fig. 33. 

 The spore-bearing filaments are about the same size as in those of the Termite, 

 but freq-uently they present more numerous or longer rows of spores, and in the 

 filaments without spores an articulated condition is at times more evident. 



In some of the spore-bearing filaments from Julus, it was observed that the 

 articulations appeared less well defined than usual, as if softened, and they were 

 finely granular, as represented in Fig. 34. The condition was supposed to indi- 

 cate the means by which the spores may be discharged. Attached to some of the 

 apparently softened filaments there were many small, narrow, elliptical bodies, 

 which appeared to be germinating plants. They were not derived from the spores, 

 than which they were smaller, but started from minute granules, seemingly some 

 of those derived from the softening articulations. 



