COXTKIBUTIOXS TO THE CYTOLOGY OF THE BACTERIA. 487 



figures tlie fusiform organism from the human mouth, a 

 form from fresh Avater;, and a form from the cascum of a 

 mouse. In all these, he finds nuclei which are essentially the 

 same as those which I have found in the various forms 

 described in the preceding pages. 



Hoelling describes the formation of long, multiuuclear 

 filaments by these organisms. He regards this as a degenera- 

 tion phenomenon. The occurrence of these filamentar (un- 

 segmented) forms lends, I think, some support to the view, 

 which I have already expressed (p. 452), that the "fusiform 

 Bacteria ^^ are really Fungi.^ At present there is no con- 

 clusive proof that this is so; but it should be noted also 

 that there is no proof that these protists are Bacteria. 



Whatever be the systematic position of the " fusiform 

 Bacteria,^' I think there can be no longer any doubt that 

 they possess a characteristic nucleus, in the form usually of a 

 minute sphere or granule — one in each cell — which divides 

 by a simple process of amitosis. 



Affinities of the Bacteria. — This is not the place to 

 discuss the affinities of the Bacteria in detail. Yet I believe 

 we have now^ arrived at the beginnings of a correct inter- 

 pretation of the structure and life-history of this group, so 

 that cj, discussion of their affinities would be more profitable 

 now than it would have been a few years ago. 



Three chief views regarding the affinities of the Bacteria 

 have been advanced : namely, that they are allied to the 

 Fungi, to the Cyanophycege, or to the flagellate Pi-otozoa. I 

 have previously expressed the opinion that the Bacteria do 

 not show affinities with the Fungi. The cytological studies 

 recorded in this paper confirm this view completely. I 

 believe there is not a particle of evidence to support the 

 hypothesis that the Bacteria and Fungi are connected. The 



' I would call attention to the reseml^lance which these organisms 

 Ijear to a fungus descriljed by Sulc (1910) from the body-cavity of 

 Chermes strobilobius. This fungus — probably a yeast — which 

 Sulc calls Schizosaccharomyces chermetis strobilobii. has a 

 " caraway-seed shape," and tlie figiu-es of it (fig. xv) certainly show a 

 strong similarity to many '• fusiform Bacteria "" which I have observed. 



