ON A RED PTGMENT-rOKMING ORGANISM. 413 



protoplasm, with an intermediate hyaline scarcely stained cell 

 body. These resemble the clear space cells of the B. 

 typhosus. In other cells the refractive mass is gathered 

 into a distinct rounded spore-like mass at each pole, and in 

 stained preparations a very common appearance is that repre- 

 sented in fig. 3, where a strongly stained central mass is 

 flanked by two oval unstained bodies, apparently corresponding 

 to the refringent masses, and having the appearance of 

 terminal spores. 



Biichner has shown that the refringent terminal mass, de- 

 scribed as a spore in the case of B. typhosus, was really a 

 collection of protoplasm, and stained deeply, and did not 

 correspond to the unstained oval space in stained specimens. 

 Similarly, by direct staining on the slide, it may be seen 

 that the rounded refractive polar masses are protoplasmic 

 and stain deeply, and that the two forms a and b in figs. 

 1 and 2 are not corresponding stained and unstained appear- 

 ances, but the forms a and c. That the oval unstained spaces 

 seen in fig. 3 are not spores is indicated by their rather 

 irregular shapes and somewhat faint outline, which suggest 

 rather the space left by the withdrawal of the central pro- 

 toplasm from that part of the cell. Further, no attempts at 

 difi'erential staining or any of the usual methods of spore 

 staining have been successful, and no free spores can be 

 demonstrated in the cultures. The cultures containing these 

 forms are sterilised by one hour's heating to 60° C. 



Regarding the irregularity of staining as due to irregu- 

 larities in the distribution of the cell contents, the question 

 arises as to whether the forms noticed are produced artificially 

 in preparation, or are the expression of normal changes in the 

 cells, or are the results of degenerative processes. That the 

 various forms are not produced artificially is shown by the 

 fact that similar results are obtained whether the specimens 

 are fixed by heat, alcohol, or simply drying, and that a 

 parallel irregularity is seen in fresh specimens, and in pre- 

 parations made by staining directly on the slide without 

 fixation. 



