430 BACTERIA OF THE SPUTA 



Here it is not the superposition of an extraneous fragment, but 

 the folding up of the ear itself. In the figure referred to, the third 

 superior and the point b of the ear are turned up and pressed 

 back upon the middle third, but in a direction somewhat oblique 

 to its axis, so that, at first sight, or with inferior objectives, they 

 simulate a gibbosity. But focussing with the fine adjustment, it is 

 easily perceived that there is, in reality, a folding due to a mechan- 

 ical cause, and accidentally rendered even more pronounced by 

 the pressure of the cover-glass. 



We do not speak of a third apparent irregularity, which might 

 deceive us only when using inadequate optical means — we mean 

 the accidental apposition of extraneous cocci, of bacteria and comma 

 bacilli around some ears, as shown in Fig. 23, b^ b. Under lower 

 power objectives, such cumuli or groups, especially if more con- 

 spicuous, may, in fact, simulate real protuberances. 



There is, however, a special apposition of cocci and bacteria, 

 sometimes visible on certain ears ; perhaps, those remained longer 

 with their points in contact with the labial mucous, and there 

 became incrusted with the above bacterial elements, through a 

 cement of viscid mucus. Such ears, in fact, are never augmented 

 on the opposite side, but only on the top, like a very oblong pear ; 

 and the increase, gradually narrowing itself, seldom goes beyond 

 the half of their length (Fig. 30, stained with gentian violet, mag- 

 nified to 1,170 diameters). 



When they reach the first colourising stage with the gentian 

 violet, we can easily perceive there is in reality a sort of cap (at 

 first, more pale and granular) constituted by cocci and bacteria, 

 only slighdy coloured, in various layers, towards the point «, and 

 sloping towards the half, a\ a ; whilst the ear, b, b, with its sporules, 

 is seen brightly coloured in the interior. In the second stage, 

 even these adventitious cocci and bacteria become coloured, and 

 the cap is no longer distinguished from the internal ear. 



CONCLUSION. 



We have seen how Billet describes the evolutionary cycle of 

 the Bacteriacese (which would constitute for our parasite only the 

 inferior cycle), and that his remarks mostly agree with those we 

 have made on the same parasite. His interpretations of the 



