28 MORPHOLOGY. 



This has been completely confirmed by myself and Dr. 

 Hirai in Bac. anthracis, Bac. gangrsenosus pulpaa, and 

 Astasia asterospora. From what we have seen, it appears 

 strange to us that Burchard (A. K. n, 1) found twenty-one 

 new species of spore-carrying bacilli, the spores of which 

 all germinated so differently and characteristically that 

 he held the occurrence of the spore germination (appear- 

 ance of spore, point of germination, thickening of spore 

 capsule, etc.) to be a certain diagnostic aid in differ- 

 entiating the variety. Until now we unfortunately have 



Fig. 10. — Polar germination of spores in anthrax. 



Fig. 10 a.— Equatorial germination of spores in Bac. subtilis. 



not been in a position to confirm the statements upon more 

 extensive material. 



Regarding method, I may remark that spores are allowed 

 to dry in a thin layer on a cover-glass ; a drop of agar is 

 placed thereon and the hanging drop examined upon a 

 warm stage. 



In old cultures of bacteria there are found almost always 

 dead, often very strangely deformed, bacterial cells, invo- 

 lution and degeneration forms, of which Plate 36, Fig. 

 v, and Plate 51, Fig. iv, give an idea. These swollen, 

 bent, often entirely unrecognizable forms stain poorl 



