THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE, 



291 



twelve hours, the spores (?) seemed to be much in the 

 same condition, though numerous small colonies (30 to 

 50 in each) of motionless Bacteria were now visible. 

 During the day the air was clear, and the temperature 

 lower (76 F.) and after twelve hours more (in the 

 evening) the Bacteria were found to have considerably 

 increased in number, and several of the spore-like 

 bodies were in a more developed condition their thick 

 walls being wholly or partially consolidated, and the 

 nucleus also more distinctly defined. In this condition 

 they perfectly resembled the undoubtedly living spores 

 which have been found, either alone or in connection 

 with mycelial filaments to which they have given rise, 

 in many ammoniacal solutions. The great majority of 

 the spore-like bodies in the watch-glass were, however, 

 still in the granular condition they seemed to have 

 made no advance whatever. On the following day they 

 were not quite so distinct some of them seemed to 

 be disintegrating, whilst none had undergone any 

 further development. The Bacteria, on the contrary, 

 had decidedly increased in quantity. After two days 

 more, minute Torula cells began to appear. These did 

 not rapidly multiply, as on other occasions, but soon 



certain that they could not have originated after this fashion. They 

 obviously commenced as minute specks, and the granular appear- 

 ance manifested itself as long as the spore-like bodies were still 

 increasing in size. When growth stopped, consolidation began to 

 take place, and an even, double-contoured wall soon replaced that 

 which was before irregular and granular. (Compare with those in 

 Figs. 29 and 39.) 



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