CLASSIFICATION OF THE BACTERIA. 81 



We might, as in the Spherobacteria, divide 

 the rod-bacteria into three groups : 1. the bac- 

 teria of putrefaction, B. termo, B. lineola, and 

 their varieties ; 2. the Bacteria of the lactic and 

 acetic fermentations, etc. ; 3. Chromogenes, B. 

 of colored milk and pus. 



B. termo, Ehrb. 1830, Duj. ( Vibrio lineola, Ehrb. 

 ex. p. 1838; Monas termo, Miiller). 



Cells cylindrical, slightly swollen in the middle, 

 isolated, sometimes united in pairs, two to five times 

 as long as wide; length 2 to 3 /A, thickness 0.6 to 

 1.8 fju ; movements oscillatory. 



Appears at the end of a very short time in 

 all infusions of animal and vegetable substances ; 

 multiplies with rapidity in numerous zooglcea ; 

 then disappears as other species, to which it 

 serves as nutriment, are developed. According 

 to recent observations, this bacterium has cilia 

 (Dallinger, Drysdale, Warming). Warming has 

 also found it in the state of torula. 



B. termo is the veritable agent, the first cause, 

 of putrefaction, it is the true ferment saprogene 

 (Cohn). 



M. Warming has recently described two allied forms : 

 B. griseum, cells larger, more rounded ; length 2.5 to 4 /*, 



thickness 1.8 to 2.5 /z. In infusions of fresh and salt water. 

 B. littoreum, cells elliptical or elongated, slightly rounded ; 



length 2 to 6 /LI, thickness 1.2 to 2.4 p. Coasts of Denmark. 



B. lineola, Cohn ( Vibrio lineola, Ehrb. ex p., 

 Duj., Miiller, V. tremulans, Ehrb., Bacterium 

 triloculare, Ehrb). 



