122 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



Violet) lightly but evenly. Occasional rudimentary branching may 

 be noted. Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of Plate III illustrate these various 

 types, which have been observed in saline broths and salt codfish 

 agar up to 16 per cent, to 20 per cent. salt. 



Russell and Matzuschita (18) obtained nomad-like forms from 

 typical rod forms of marine bacilli and vice versa, especially in the 

 case of B. halopJiilus of the former author, and M.flavus of the latter. 



Round forms of slightly larger size than the vegetating forms 

 also occur. Some of these have a darker staining centre, whilst 

 others have a darker staining ring. Both types break up and dis- 

 charge their contents, the former into a granular symplastic mass, 

 and the ring segments of the latter into granules imbedded in a faintly 

 red tinged cytoplasm (Giemsa). 



Whether these round forms should be regarded as microcysts 

 or gonidangia is difficult to state. We have not noted any greater 

 resistance to heat. 



Such cells observed in Turks Islands brines resemble the micro- 

 cysts of B. ruminatus, as figured by A. Meyer, and also those of 

 Zukal's Myxococcus macrosporiis, both as figured by Lohnis (Plate 0, 

 Figs. 61 and 66). 



In a number of cases, however, the round cells have very thin 

 walls and the fragmentation of the contents and their subsequent 

 escape lead to the belief that they should be termed gonidangia, and 

 the contents gonidia or reproductive granules. 



The transfer of the red organism to media containing higher 

 percentages of salt 25 per cent, to 35 per cent, is followed by a lengthen- 

 ing of the organism, the formation of rods, some straight, others 

 slightly bent, and many odd shaped forms, such are figured on Plate 

 III, 4, 5 and 6. These forms vary in size from 3 m to 14 ;u in length, 

 and individuals of all sizes may be found in preparations, but the 

 general average of length is greater in cultures containing the highest 

 percentages of salt. Branched- forms, usually in the form of a T, 

 are frequently present. 



On transferring the organism from 25 per cent, to 30 per cent, 

 salt media to 16 per cent, the rods shorten, the nucleoplasm collecting 

 in two or three more or less regular masses which break up into 

 rounded elliptical, clubbed or other shaped, smaller cells. Fig. 9 of 

 Plate IV illustrates this change. Subsequently the cells increase by 

 fission or budding as mentioned already. 



Probably Lohnis would consider this change as the formation 

 of gonidia, the round bodies are, however, non-motile. 



