

W. P. SHADBOLT ON " FOUL " SEA WATER, 



95 



enough to form a crowded cluster of perhaps 20-30, the colony 

 throws out numerous arms of hyaline matter radially, and these 

 keep on increasing in length. Along the arms appear many, (say 

 a dozen or two), nuclear spots, not at regular intervals or in 

 regular lines, but here and there, sometimes two or more side by 

 side, and distributed in the direction of the length of the arm 

 These nuclei grow into round bodies like the parent, and of the 

 same size, then arrange themselves gradually in the direction of 

 the length of the arm or ray, and finally, as the medium liquefies 

 after about five to six days, or less, separate. 



Neither in the resulting nor any other liquid medium have I 

 seen the star-shaped colony. In liquid the organisms divide 

 irregularly by fission or external budding, and in a few hours break 

 up into masses of minute spores. This organism is at no time 

 motile, and except in the case of the radial processes above 

 described, retains, as an individual, its rounded form. 



No. 2 « White " 1 These are not visible on the plate for 

 No. 3 « Yellow" {about 36 hours. The colonies then appear 

 as white or yellow rounded, (sometimes kidney-shaped), spots, 

 which gradually increase in size. In some of them the edge is 

 definitely marked by a surrounding ring of organisms, packed 

 closely and regularly. In others the edge shows no such bounding 

 ring, and is fissured. These do not break up, are not confluent, and 

 consist of masses of extremely minute rounded bodies. On being 

 placed in a liquid medium they multiply rapidly and irregularly. 



These two kinds are so similar, except in colour, and the dif- 

 ference in colour is so slight in the earlier stages of growth, that 

 it is not easy, especially by artificial light, to distinguish them. 

 They are non-motile, aerobic, and liquefy gelatine but slowly. 



A temporary absence during the growth on the plates when I 

 had at last got them separated prevented my being ready with 

 more than the above very incomplete observations as to these last 

 two kinds. They are now, as will be seen, well differentiated in 

 the tubes shown, and are ready for further investigation. 



The hanging drop cultures, one of each of the three kinds shown 

 herewith, are taken from the respective tubes, and are about 24 

 hours old. 



The media have all been slightly alkaline. Trials were made on 

 agar and gelatine media, in which fish was used instead of meat, 

 but without any difference in the result. 



