COXTRIBUTIOXS TO THE CYTOLOGY OF THE BACTEIMA. 42S 



forms show slight irreo'ularities in the contour of the nucleus; 

 and it is, in fact, frequently impossible to decide Avhether an 

 individual should be described as a Micrococcus or a cocco- 

 bacillar form. All intermediate gradations occur, so that — 

 although an absolute proof is lacking — I believe that nil these 

 forms, from typical Micrococcus to typical Bacillus, are 

 really stages in the life-cycle of one and the same organism.^ 

 For the present, however, I will confine myself to describiu"- 

 tlie morphological features of these forms — merely pointing- 

 out that, side by side in the same host, all forms occur from 

 typical, spherical cocci with a spherical nucleus, to typical 

 rod-shaped bacilli with a zig-zag or spiral nuclear filament. 



Micrococci from ]\I a b u i a c a r i n a t a . 



These Micrococci were obtained from the large intestine 

 of the Brahmiuy lizard (Mabuia carinata), caught in 

 Ceylon (Colombo). They are of smaller size than those just 

 described, and I have examined, relatively, onlv a small 

 amount of material. 



The oi-ganisms (PI. 1(), figs. 42-44) have an average diameter 

 of about 1'5|/, or rather less. They are spherical, and show 

 a centrally placed nucleus just as in the case of the Micro- 

 cocci from Lacerta muralis (cf. fig. 44). The method 

 of division appears to be exactly the same, and I have there- 

 fore not figured it in detail. Allowing for the difference in 

 size, figures 46-49 would be equally good representations of 

 the dividing individuals of this form. 



Coccus or cocco-bacillar forms in the gut of M. carinata 

 also show the zig-zag form of nucleus (fig. 43). I have not, 

 however, a complete set of stages between cocci and bacilli, 

 as in the case of the Bacteria from Lacerta muralis. 



These Micrococci do not present any other features of 

 special interest. I have described them because they are the 

 only other cocci Avhich have furnished me with unequivocal 

 evidence regarding their cytology. 



' For further consideration of this see p. 484. 



