266 
Intestinal Protozoa in Termites 
a minute sphere of dense protoplasm containing a deeply stained granule. 
The formation of this strand seems to occur very quickly, for specimens at 
this stage are extremely rare. In PI. XII, fig. 27 is depicted an individual in an 
earlier stage of division: there is a horseshoe-shaped structure stained mode¬ 
rately by iron-haematoxylin, with a globule, stained deeply, at each end, 
and a thread connecting it with the base of the recently divided axial column. 
The horseshoe-shaped body is probably an early stage in the development 
of the straight strand. 
As in Trichonympha , indications of division are recognizable in the nucleus 
earlier than in the head. The first sign of division seen in the nucleus is the 
disappearance of the nuclear sac. In the nucleus, now free in the endoplasm, 
the chromatic bodies are resolved into fragments, the ground substance 
becomes gradually denser, and the nuclear membrane becomes indistinguish¬ 
able (PI. XII, fig. 28). While the above processes are going on in the nucleus, the 
axial column is divided, and the strand makes its appearance and continues 
to grow thicker and longer. The nucleus now gradually draws near the strand, 
coming to he closely under it, and finally becomes united to it, as in Tricho¬ 
nympha. 
At this stage chromosome formation is completed. The chromosomes are 
arranged rather regularly side by side. The mode of chromosome formation 
seems analogous to that of Trichonympha. The chromatic granules are so 
arranged as to form a certain number of chain-like threads. In some indi¬ 
viduals several pairs of chromatic threads are observed lying closely parallel to 
each other (PI. XII, fig. 27), and I am inclined to take this appearance to indi¬ 
cate that the daughter chromosomes are formed by longitudinal splitting. The 
fact that the chromosomes when arranged in a single plane during later stages, 
such as that shown in PL XII, fig. 29, are equal in length to those in the daughter 
nuclei, seems to support the above supposition, and show us that the splitting 
of the chromosomes occurs early in this species. In this species, the number 
of chromosomes counted varied from 20 to 30. I have not been able to de¬ 
termine their number exactly. They are not uniform in thickness but nodular, 
and do not differ distinctly from each other in their length. 
As the strand and the nucleus are brought into connexion, the daughter 
chromosomes move towards the opposite poles, and the division of the ground 
substance then follows. The fate of the strand in this organism is different 
from that of the similar structure observed in Pseudotrichonympha. It does 
not remain long attached to the daughter nuclei, but becomes detached from 
them, and does not break into three as in Pseudotrichonympha. In PL XII, fig. 30 
an individual (only two-thirds of the body depicted) in a late stage of division 
is shown. The strand is here seen detached from the nuclei, and one of the 
latter is seen still connected with the daughter column by means of its fila¬ 
ment. In each daughter nucleus, now just separated, we see a large spherical 
mass of dense protoplasm, with a granule near one of its poles: the chromo¬ 
somes are radially arranged, fixed to the spherical body at the side opposite 
