MORPHOLOGY. 21 



The staphylococci are characterized by the fact that, for the 

 most part, the individual cocci in a culture are solitary (Fig. 1, 6). 

 But, inasmuch as multiplication occurs by binary division, we also 

 have pairs and occasionally a group of four probably from the 

 accidental apposition of two pairs (Fig. 1, c). When in a culture 

 the cocci are for the most part associated in pairs (Fig. 1, d), we 

 speak of the organism as a diplococcus. Frequently after staining 



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a 8 

 b 



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FIG. 1. 



and mounting a preparation we find that the cocci are associated in 

 irregular groups, although we may have endeavored to distribute 

 them in a drop of distilled water. This results from the fact that 

 they are surrounded by a glutinous material which causes them to 



FIG. 2. 



FIG. 3. 



FIG. 4. 



adhere to each other (Fig. 1, e). A mass of cocci held together 

 in this way by a transparent, ;glutinous, intercellular substance is 

 spoken of as a zoogloea (Fig. 2). In the genus Ascococcus the in- 

 tercellular substance is quite firm and the zooglcea are in the form 

 of spherical or irregularly lobulated masses surrounded by a resist- 

 ant envelope of jelly-like material (Fig. 3). 



When, as a result of division in one direction only, the cocci 



