[Vor. 1 
54 ANNALS OF THE MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN 
tubes, each containing 10 cc. of distilled water and a piece of 
linen 2 inches square, were sterilized in the autoclav for 15 
minutes at 15 pounds pressure. Samples were taken from 
three parts of the body of а normal individual, namely, the calf 
of the leg, the thigh, and the chest. "This was accomplished by 
briskly rubbing the portion of the body from which the sample 
was to be taken with the piece of linen held in sterilized forceps, 
and later replacing it in the tube of sterilized water. From 
these dilutions, after being thoroughly shaken, about 4 сс. 
quantities were plated in 10 cc. of nutrient agar. From each 
plate 2 coccus colonies were selected from which transfers 
were made to agar slopes. These, after 24 hours at 37°C., 
were kept as stock cultures at 20°C. 
There were now in stock a total of 44 pure cultures of Cocca- 
cee, 20 from saliva, 18 from the open air, and 6 from the skin. 
MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERS 
The form of the individual cell is of little value in differen- 
tiating the species of Coccacee, for under conditions favorable 
to their growth, all appear as regular spheres. Птершаг oval 
cells occur at times, but the form usually becomes normal after 
cultivation. Some writers lay considerable stress on the value 
of cell grouping in the Соссасее as a means of differentiation. 
With the utmost care in cultivation and staining, however, 
this could not be verified in the cultures under observation. 
All the cultures examined contained cells occurring singly, in 
pairs, in short chains, and in masses, but in no case did the 
cells of any specific culture exhibit a distinct tendency to occur 
іп any one form. А stained cover-glass preparation showed 
various cell groupings in different parts of the same microscopic 
field. 
Cell grouping was studied in the following manner: An oese 
of sterile +1 bouillon was placed on a sterile cover glass, inoc- 
ulated with а 24-hour culture of the organism to be examined, 
and inverted on a Van Tieghem cell containing a few drops of 
sterile distilled water. After sealing the cover glass on the 
cell with vaseline, the preparation was incubated for 24 hours 
at 37°C. At the end of this time the cover glass was removed 
and the drop of water containing the organism allowed to 
