“ce 
THE ‘‘ BREAKING”? OF BARTON FISHPOND 75 
the specks visible to the naked eye; they are very thin rods slightly 
attenuated at the apex, and about 1-3000th part of an inch in 
diameter, and slightly flattened, which possibly gives them the 
strong power of cohesion. On some of the trichomes we find 
Heterocysts, which are cells of a totally different character from their 
neighbours. The microscopical appearance of the ordinary trichomes 
is rather peculiar; they are slightly granular, rather refractive, 
and seem difficult to get in proper focus. In some of the specimens 
examined I observed a gliding movement of the trichomes; they 
appear to slide along each other rather slowly, but the movement 
is quite distinct. ‘I'he movement does not appear to be very common ; 
scores of slides were examined without seeing it, then one would be 
found showing it very distinctly. I think it has possibly to do with 
reproduction, and that the plants must be in exactly the right 
state for it to be observed. The same movement was noticed by 
Dr. A. H. John, of Stoke-on-Trent, in some specimens I sent him from 
Barton. Healso found it of rare occurrence. Neither he nor I could 
find any record of this movement having been previously observed. 
As the plant decays so very soon, it is not an easy matter to keep it 
long for continuous microscopical examination. But it is during 
the process of decay that some of the most interesting points 
connected with it can be observed. 
When the decay set in large numbers of Animalculz made their 
appearance, many Paramecium of different forms, and small Rotifers, 
while the various species of Entomostraca seemed particularly happy 
feeding on the decaying matter. Another interesting feature was the 
large number of Bacteria that put in an appearance. I noted one 
large species particularly active, it was no doubt Bacillus subtilis. 
The water became a bluish colour and turbid, but on the decaying 
plants and the infusoria living among them settling to the bottom 
of the tube, the middle portion of the water was the colour 
of a solution of sulphate of copper, the top part remaining turbid and 
of a pale blue, giving off a most unpleasant smell. 
I filtered some of this greenish blue water, and after the filtrate 
had been standing some days I noticed a curious dichroic effect ; on 
viewing the liquid by transmitted light it appeared bluish green, but 
by reflected light chestnut-brown, exactly as is seen in a solution of 
some of the anilene dyes. 
