BY K. VON LENDENPELD, PH.D. 37 



the granular masses in the distal part had evidently undergone a 

 change. No nucleus could be detected in them, and they were not 

 nearly so readily colourable as the proximal ones with the nucleus. 



I assumed on the ground of these observations that a parasitic 

 protozoon of some kind or another entered the wounds 

 mechanically made Id the tender skins of lambs and there 

 multiplied. 



I subsequently made some experiments to find out whether this 

 assumption was correct, as follows : — 



The scurf in the lower portion of which there were many 

 granular masses, with nucleus, was placed in fresh water in a 

 small aquarium. 



A small portion of the skin of a sound lamb was placed in a 

 similar aquarium filled with water from the same source (boiled 

 rain water.) 



Infusoria and Bacteria made their appearance in both aquaria 

 after a few days, but in the one with the diseased scurf only I 

 found after four days several Amoebge, in shape similar to an 

 ordinary lobate Amoeba. (Fig. 4.) These were most numerous 

 after six days, and then rapidly vanished, so that there wei'e 

 apparently none left in ten days. 



I believe I am justified in concluding from this observation 

 that the cause of the disease is an Amoeba, which I name, 

 accordingly to its mode of life, Amo3ba parasitica, which, however 

 does not differ moiphologically from the well-known, and as I 

 believe, cosmopolitan Amoeba princeps of Ehrenberg. 



It is well-known that several fungi, in certain stages of their 

 life, appear very similar to Amoebse, and so it is no"- impossible 

 that my Amoeba is in some connection with them, I do not 

 consider this probable, however, as I made no observation which 

 might lead one to suppose that the Amoeba ever divided into a 

 multitude of swarming spores. 



