188 BACTERIA IN THE SPUTA, ETC. 



name does not imply a separate specific entity. We notice that 

 those bacilU vibrate not only sidewise, like fishes, but flash here 

 and there with a rapid translatory motion, dashing first upon one 

 tiny island and then (after a pause) upon another, or disappearing 

 from the visual field. It is impossible not to recognise in those 

 motions the character of vital movements, either voluntary or 

 teleological j and excluding the first hypothesis, which would lead 

 us to the ani77ialculcB of Leeuwenhoek, Ficinus, and Klencke, 

 there only remains 07ie external purpose to this bacilli, which is 

 directed to the performance of one function. That function can 

 only be an important one, considering that those motions are the 

 highest and most persisting manifestation of life exhibited by 

 buccal microbes. Now, what more important function than that 

 of fecundation ? * 



The movements of the Virgula bacilli of type // (Fig. 5) are 

 generally undulating and serpentine ; but they have also a trans- 

 latory one, as we have suggested before. 



In conclusion, we may suppose that those points, or so-called 

 bacilli, perform a function similar to that of spermatia or anthero- 

 zoids of various fungi and sea-weeds (Alg^). In such hypotheses 

 the absolute sterility of their cultures would be wholly explained, 

 being quite natural (as before suggested) that simple male organs 

 should not be able to reproduce by themselves alone. It remains 

 to be seen whether these productions by points have any relation- 

 ship with the bacillus n (Fig. 2 to the left below), a large bacillus 

 veined through its length, which contains, as in germ, slender and 

 short lineal bacilli towards the inferior end, so that we should be 

 inclined to compare it with a spermogene or antherid.\ 



We have hitherto dealt with productions by points^ in their 

 higher phase ; but near these we find other less developed forms, 



* In the quoted article of Dowdeswell, to our surprise, we find that he 

 entertains doubts upon the nature (whether vegetal or animal) of the Cholera 

 bacillus. See Lancet, 1890, Vol. I., loc. cit., p. 1422. 



t The spindle-like and Virgula bacilli of the mouth closely resemble, in 

 shape and size, the spermatia of the Sphcerella sentina, of the Fu?nago salicitta, 

 of the Apiosporiu7n citri, etc. The spermatia were considered, since 1877, as 

 male organs, when Cornu noticed that some of them were germinating by 

 themselves, so that their nature would be still uncertain. 



