GENERAL CHARACTERS OF SPIROCH^TES. 37 



The occurrence of conjugation in some form or other 

 appears to be universal among protozoa, and if spiro- 

 chaetes are to be assigned to this class it will presumably 

 be proved to take place among them also. At present 

 the accounts given of such an occurrence are not con- 

 clusive (Figs. 35, 36). An instance which I observed 

 of what appeared to be conjugation in Sp. anodontcz 

 (Fig. 37) was probably only a stage in the process of 

 longitudinal division. Krzystalowicz and Siedlecki 

 have explained certain forked forms of Sp. pallida 



FIG. 38. FIG. 39. 



FIG. 38. Spirochaeta pallida; formation of gametes. (Krzys- 

 talowicz and Siedlecki.) 



FIG. 30. Spirochaeta pallida; conjungation. (Krzystalowicz 

 and Siedlecki.) 



which they observed as resulting from the conjugation 

 of a small individual with a larger one (Figs. 38, 39) ; 

 and Leuriaux and v. Geets describe microgametes and 

 macrogametes. The four writers last mentioned agree 

 in considering Sp. pallida to be in reality a species of 

 trypanosome (Trypanosoma luis, Krz. and S.), the 

 macrogamete being definitely trypanosomatoid and the 

 microgamete spirochaetal. Male, female and indifferent 

 forms of Sp. balbianii are described by Perrin, but he 

 failed to find any certain instance of conjugation (see 



Fig- 35)- 



Carter gives figures of what appears to be conjuga- 

 tion of a spirochaete which he found in human blood in 



