312 THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 



especially that the milk-globules are found to be va- 

 riously altered, and in which some are being meta- 

 morphosed into Fungus-germs. To recognise this satis- 

 factorily requires great care and patience, and it is 

 only possible by making an examination of specimens 

 in which the transformation is in its earliest stages. 

 After even a few hours, owing to the very rapid growth 

 and repeated branching of the Pemdl/him-f[\a.mentSj the 

 superficial stratum is permeated by them in all direc- 

 tions ; and they are mixed up soon afterwards with the 

 large conidia which the filaments are constantly throw- 

 ing off, and which germinate in their turn. 



The superficial stratum should therefore be examined 

 at the period when the globules are just beginning to 

 bud into filaments, or, better still, the method originally 

 recommended by Turpin may be adopted. A drop of 

 distilled water should be placed upon an ordinary 

 glass microscope-slip, and a small quantity of the 

 as yet unaltered cream should be added so as to dis- 

 seminate its globules through the fluid. A covering 

 glass may then be applied, and allowed to float some- 

 what freely on the fluid. After a microscopical exami- 

 nation of the specimen, with the view of ascertaining 

 the state of the globules and the absence of all apparent 

 Fungus-germs, the specimen should be carefully trans- 

 ferred to a damp chamber which is thoroughly saturated 

 with moisture — so as to prevent, as much as possible, 

 the evaporation of the fluid from beneath the covering 

 glass. Or else the drop of water containing milk- 



