THE IRON-BACTERIA 



377 



Spirophyllum ferrugineum (Ellis) 



A new genus of Iron-bacteria was found by the writer in 

 the neighbourhood of Glasgow. Like Gallionella it exhibits 

 the coiling habit, but differs from this organism in that the 

 body takes the form not of a thread, but of a flat band. An 

 example is shown in Plate III. The presence of two individuals 

 coiled round each other is not an infrequent aspect in cultures 

 of this species (fig. 3,B). Multiplication takes place as in the 



B 



m 



.411 



Fig. 3. — Spirophyllum ferrugineum ; x 1,500. 



A, Fully grown specimen. B, Two half-grown 

 specimens partially coiled round each other. 



two preceding organisms, by fragmentation and by conidia- 

 formation. Like these two also its power of collecting ferric 

 hydroxide round itself is very considerable. As seen in Plate 

 III in the figure to the left, the deposition of iron has com- 

 pletely obliterated the form of this organism. The other 

 figures in the same plate show that there is much variety in the 

 number of twists, in the width of the bands, and in the lengths 

 of the individual twists. The bands vary in width from i yu, 

 in the youngest forms to about 6yx in the fully matured 

 specimens. The thickness is, roughly speaking, from a sixth 

 25 



