84 



C. F. ROBINOW 





I 



Q # 



Figs. 1-4. Spores of B. megaterium germinating at 37 '^C. on yeast extract 

 glucose agar. Fixed with acetic alcohol, stained by the Feulgen procedure 

 and afterwards mounted in aceto-carmine. 



1. Fixed 10 minutes after transfer, (a) Resting spores which have ex- 

 truded their chromatin during the Feulgen-hydrolysis. (b) Spores which 

 have failed to germinate and were probably not viable, (c) Spores with 

 stained interior which have begun to germinate. 



2 - 4. Fixed 35 minutes after transfer. Many spore cases already rup- 

 tured (d). (a) and(c) as above. The chromatin is now in the shape of 

 Feulgen-positive bars and granules embedded in a basophil matrix. Spores 

 like those in Fig. 3 at (d) in Fig. 4 look deceptively like cells with a neat, 

 relatively large ordinary nucleus but must probably be interpreted in the 

 manner of text Fig. 1 (compare with Figs. 27, 28 of Robinow 1955). 



