A NOTE ON THE SPIROCHAETES OF TERMITES

The original observations of spiral organisms in the intes-tines of termites or "white ants " were made by Leidy (1877), who noted that the gut of Reticulitemes flatipes ("Termes flavipes") was distended with material consisting largely of infusorial and other parasites. Of these parasitic forms, Leidy identified three as animal and two as vegetable in character. One of these latter he termed a spirillum, "probably Spirillum Undula." In a later study of the parasites of termites, Leidy (1881) called the spiral orgsms "vibrios " and declared they most nearly resembled the Vibrio serpens of Muiller. Leidy gave these spiral forms the name Vibrio termites and described them as rectilinear and regularly undulant with 3 to 6 waves, com-monly stationary and undulating more or less rapidly, but often advancing or receding with variable rapidity, sometimes becoming quiescent. Occasionally they were observed to bend at an obtuse angle while continuing to undulate. The smallest individuals were straight but in motion became bent in the segment of a circle; not infrequently they adhered together by one end, thus forming radiating groups. Other observations on spiral organi in termites have been reported by Grassi and Sandias (1893-1894), who recorded spi-rilla in European termites-Kalotermes flavicollis and Reticu-litermes lucifugus ("Termes lucifugus"). The latest report on organisms of this type in termites has been made by Dobell (1910-1913), who noted them in the course of certain studies on parasitic protozoa from Ceylon