VIBRIO. 



[ 675 ] 



VIBRIONIA. 



indicate a single, long, tubular cell, with 

 spiral deposits, in contradistinction to a canal 

 formed of a row of short cells of similar 

 character, applied end to end and confluent. 

 The Laticiferous tubes are sometimes 

 called laticiferous or milk vessels, 



VIBRIO, Miill.— A genus forming the 

 type of the family Vibrionia, Infusoria of 

 authors, but part of which we have provision- 

 ally placed in the Oscillatoriace8e(Confervoid 

 Algae). 



Char. Filiform, more or less distinctly 

 jointed from imperfect division, movement 

 undulatory, like that of a serpent. 



These filamentous bodies are extremely 

 minute ; their simple structure is best seen 

 when thev are dried. 



V. subtilis (PL 3. fig. 18). Filaments 

 colourless, elongate, hyaline, straight, di- 

 stinctly jointed, motile vibrations very slight 

 and not perceptibly altering their form. 

 Aquatic, in pools; length reaching 1-430" j 

 breadth 1-24000". Probably an Oscillatoria. 



V. rugula (PL 3. fig. 19). Filaments hya- 

 line, distinctly jointed, very tortuous when 

 inmotion. In decomposing infusions; breadth 

 1-12000". 



V. prolifer (PL 3. fig. 20). Filaments 

 short, hyaline, distinctly jointed, tortuous in 

 their slow motion. In decomposing infu- 

 sions ; length 1-9200 to 1-1150"; breadth 

 1-9200". 



V. bacillus (PL 3. fig. 21). Filaments 

 elongate, hyaline, jointsisometimes distinct 

 onlv after drying, flexuous in their slow 

 motion; length 1-288"; breadth 1-1/00". 

 Probably Jwfliffiwa subtilissima, Klitz., which 

 seems not Nostochaceous, but Oscillatoria- 

 ceous. 



Two or three other species ; one of them, 

 V. ambiguus, is branched ; they are still 

 more evidently algae. 



BiBL- Ehrenberg, Lifus. 77 ; Dujardin, 

 Infus. 216. 



VIBRIONIA.— A family of Infusoria, ac- 

 cording to the classifications of Ehrenberg 

 and Dujardin, but which appear at all events 



in part to be Algae (Oscillatoriace^-)- 



Char. Active, filiform, extremely minute, 

 colourless, jointed bodies, of obscure organi- 

 zation, and without visible locomotive organs 

 (except Bacterium ?) ; straight or spirally 

 coiled, multiplied by division at the joints. 



These organisms form some of the most 

 minute which the microscopist is called upon 

 to examine, and it is with the greatest diffi- 

 culty that their structure can be made out. 

 But although in the ordinary method of exa- 



mination, structure is invisible, yet by allow- 

 ing them to dry spontaneously on a slide, or 

 adding solution of iodine to them in the wet 

 state or when dried, it can be distinctly seen 

 that they are composed of minute joints, 

 resembling very minute, colourless Oscillato- 

 riaceousConfervae. When treated with potash, 

 they are unacted upon, although the minute 

 monads with which they are invariably 

 accompanied are bm-st and dissolved. Nor 

 have we succeeded in colouring them by 

 Millon's or Pettenkofer's test, although their 

 minute size is such that the magnifying 

 power used to render them visible would so 

 dilute the colour, by diffusing it over a large 

 surface, that it is difficult to speak positively 

 upon this point. They are propagated by 

 the formation of new joints, and subsequent 

 separation at one of the articulations. Thev 

 are almost invariably the first organisms 

 found in decaying and putrefving organic 

 matters, especially animal. When treated 

 with iodine and then sulphuric acid, their 

 jointed structure is rendered very distinct ; 

 and it appears that they are composed of two 

 parts, an outer portion which seems pale or 

 but slightly coloured, and an inner which 

 becomes veiy dark ; but the tints cannot be 

 distinguished with certainty : they appear 

 purplish, reddish-purple-brown, quite dif- 

 ferent from the surrounding infusoria when 

 thus treated. 



M. Pineau believes that animal matter is 

 directly transformed into Infusoria and 

 Algae ; but when tests are used in the proper 

 manner, this view is rendered altogether im- 

 probable. 



Some of the Vibriones probably are but 

 the earlier stages of other algae, but what 

 these algae are is unknown. 



The motion of these minute bodies would 

 seem to indicate that some are furnished 

 with cilia ; but in others it is evidently pro- 

 duced by general contractility. M. Dujardin 

 thinks, however, that he has sometimes seen 

 a flagelliform filament analogous to that of 

 the Monadina, or rather undulating helically, 

 and Ehrenberg describes a cilium or flagel- 

 liform filament in one Bacteriurn. Our own 

 repeated observations, made in such manner 

 (see Cilia) as will detect cilia with ease 

 when present, or at least in any part where 

 they have hitherto been found certainlv, 

 have failed to detect them in the Vibrionia 

 (excluding Bacterium, which is doubtfully 

 referred to this family). 



We have included the genera Bacterium 

 and Vibrio among the OsciLLATORiACEiE, 



2x2 



