122 C. CLIFFORD DOBELL. 
really be placed in the genus Bacillus at all. But B. 
biitschlii has now remained in this genus for some time, 
and I think my organism must go where it goes. Both forms 
will probably have to be removed—perhaps, as Schaudinn 
suggested, to the genus Dispora, Kern. The large size of 
these organisms, their life-history and formation of two 
spores, all distinguish them from the ordinary Bacilli. The 
specific name is given on account of what is, at first sight, 
the most striking characteristic of the organism—namely, its 
flexibility. 
B. flexilis is found in the large intestine of frogs and toads 
—Rana temporaria, L., and Bufo vulgaris, L. It is, 
like B. biitschlii, of rare occurrence; I have found it in 
only 3—4 per cent. of animals examined, and on only one 
occasion in large numbers. I have also found a similar, 
though longer and more slender organism, in the common 
newt. 
In size the organism varies considerably, and may be any 
length from 15 to 35m. On one occasion I found a 
“specimen (undivided) which had attained a length of 39°5 yu. 
An average length is about 25u. The breadth is from 
2—3. It will be seen, therefore, that, although a giant 
among Bacteria, this protist is only about half the size of 
B. biitschlii. 
The shape is that of a long rod, with the ends bluntly 
pointed rather than rounded. The protoplasm is finely 
granular and somewhat alveolar in the living organism, 
but by no means so distinctly “ honeycombéd ” as in B. 
bitschlii (see Pl. 6, fig. 1). A strongly-developed outer 
layer can be seen on careful focussing (fig. 1) consisting of 
the pellicle and perhaps also of an ectoplasmic sheath.. The 
organism is clad all over with very fine cilia (“flagella” of 
the bacteriologist), which can be demonstrated in stained 
preparations only (see fig. 9). . 
A large number of granules inside the organism are found 
to stain with nuclear stains. I am inclined to regard these 
as being composed of chromatin, and the organism, therefore, 
