174 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [May 



the specific-gravity method this error is less likely to 

 occur. 



It has been found that while the specific gravity may 

 vary at diflferent times of the day, being influenced by 

 sleep, food, drink, exercise, etc., the haemoglobin, under 

 similar conditions, varies also. 



From the Laboratory of Pathology^ 

 University of Buffalo. 

 August 21, 1895. 



On the Flagella of Motile Bacteria. 



BY VERANUS A. MOOEE. 

 WASHINGTON, D. C. 



Members of the American Microscopical Society. 

 During the past three years several new methods of 

 demonstrating flagella have been announced. Up to the 

 present, however, a perfectly satisfactory process has not 

 been devised and the results obtained by different workers 

 have been in many instances quite contradictory. The 

 efforts to fix upon the flagella specific characters have also 

 failed, although much advance has been made in that 

 direction. 



THE NATURE OF THE FLAGELLA. 



Notwithstanding the somewhat definite results which 

 have been obtained in reference to the structure of the 

 flagella, it appears to be of the highest importance that 

 their nature should be more fully determined before they 

 are accepted as constant and integral parts in the mor- 

 phology of individual bacteria. The examination of a large 

 number of preparations stained by the same method, and 

 frequently a single specimen, will reveal quite difl'erent 

 appearances. In some instances, and in my experience 

 on a large majority of the bacilli, the flagella appear as 

 appendages radiating from the body (nucleus according to 

 Biitschli) of the organism. I have occasionally observed 



