168 Royal Society : — 



VI. Genus Nemebtites, M'Leay. 



13. Nemertites Ollivantii, MurcMson. 



14. (Palseochorda) major, JSP Coy. 



15. (Palseochorda) minor, M'-Coy. 



VU. Grenus MxEiAJfiTES, M'Leay. 



16. Myrianites teuuis, M'-Coy. 



17. • Murchisoni, Emmons. 



C. Appendix. 



Vin. Genus Caeidolites, Nicholson. 



18. Caridolites Wilsoni, Nicholson. 



June 19, 1873. — William Spottiswoode, M.A., Treasurer and Vice- 

 President, in the Chair. 



" Experiments on the Development of Bacteria in Organic Infu- 

 sion." By C. C. PoDE, M.B., Demonstrator to the Regius Professor 

 of Medicine, and E. Rat Lankestee, M.A., Fellow and Lecturer 

 of Exeter College. 



The following passage from Dr. Charlton Bastian's ' Beginnings 

 of Life' (vol. i. p. 429^ induced us to make experiments similar 

 to those mentioned in it, with the ■view of testing the correctness 

 of Dr. Bastian's conclusion as to matter of fact : — 



" On the other hand, the labours of very many experimenters 

 haA^e now placed it beyond all question of doubt or cavil that HATng 

 Bacteria, Toridce, and other low forms of life will make their appear- 

 ance and multiply within hermetically-sealed flasks (containing or- 

 ganic infusions) which had been previously heated to 212° P., 

 even for one or two hours. This result is now so easily and 

 surely obtainable, as to make it come within the domain of natural 

 law." And in a note is added, " In a very large number of 

 trials I have never had a single failure when an infusion of 

 turnip has been employed ; and from what I have more recently 

 seen of the effects produced by the addition of a very minute 

 fragment of cheese to such an infusion (see Appendix C, 

 pp. xxxiv-xxxviii), I fully believe that in 999 cases out of 1000, 

 if not in every case, a positive result could be obtained." Though 

 this is one out of a great number of statements made by Dr. 

 Bastiau upon which he bases speculations as to the prevalence of 

 spontaneous generation or archebiosis, we think it necessary to 

 state that we have not considered that (which is a question of 

 interpretation) as the point at issue, but merely the question of fact 

 as to the appearance of Bacteria in what may be considered, accord- 

 ing to our present lights, infusions duly guarded from inoculation. 

 The point luider discussion is one as to a fact in the natural 

 history of Bacteria, in a further study of which we are occupied 

 at the instance of the Eadcliffe Trustees ; and we beheve that a 

 more precise knowledge of the life-history, life-conditions, and 



