256 
Intestinal Protozoa in Termites 
The anterior region occupies only a small portion as compared with that of 
Trichonympha, and measures 30-40 /x in height, so that the posterior region 
is from six to nine times as long as the anterior. The anterior region may 
again he divided into a nipple and a bell, as in Trichonymy)ha , though no 
circular fissure (“citartrosi’’ of Grassi) separating these parts is to be found 
in this species of Pseudotrichonympha. The bell occupies some two-thirds of 
the anterior region, measuring some 20 /x in height and 40-50 p, in transverse 
diameter at its margin. 
The nipple is of similar construction to that of Trichonympha , but differs 
in several details (PI. XI, fig. 15). The axis of the nipple is not formed of a simple 
column, but consists of a tubule with a round ball situated at its anterior 
end. The layer surrounding the axis is thickly traversed by flagella and 
resembles the outer layer of Trichonympha, no layer corresponding to the 
inner layer being recognizable around the axis. The wall of the bell consists 
of two layers, just as in Trichonympha, the outer one being continuous with 
that of the nipple. The inner layer ends anteriorly at the edge of the base of 
the axis. It measures about 2 /x in thickness in the middle and becomes 
gradually thinner towards the ends. The tubular column is slightly thickened 
at both ends, the posterior end being the thicker. Its wall is fairly thin, and 
becomes also gradually thicker towards both ends, especially towards the 
posterior. The ball is solid, and its diameter is nearly equal to that of the 
anterior end of the tubular column. It fits closely into the opening of the 
latter; that is, only a hemisphere of the ball appears at the top of the axis, 
and the opening of the tubular column is perfectly closed. Both the wall of 
the tubule and its contents are transparent, homogeneous, and structureless, 
no granules as seen in Trichonympha being recognizable in the contents of 
the axis of this organism. The wall and the contents, moreover, are of nearly 
the same refractive index, so that these two constituents of the axial column 
are not easily distinguishable. The ball is usually indistinctly recognizable 
in fresh specimens, perhaps owing to its having nearly the same refractive 
index as the contents of the cap. 
The layer around the axis is of the same structure as the outer layer of 
Trichonympha, but its ground substance is not of uniform density in this 
organism. It is dense immediately around the column and has the same 
appearance as the outer layer of Trichonympha, in both fresh and stained 
preparations. The peripheral half is, however, much thinner. The boundary 
between these two layers is more or less distinctly discernible in some indi¬ 
viduals. The flagella are shortest at the anterior and longest at the posterior 
region of the head, the free portions of them measuring 6-8 /x and 25-30 /jl in 
these two regions respectively. They are more markedly inclined backwards 
than in Trichonympha, and the cap is much taller, its edge being found near 
the middle of the nipple. In living specimens the cap can be seen to undergo 
changes of shape in this species, but it is rather rare to see it assuming the 
shape of a hemispherical bowl. 
