Fuly 7, 1870) 
were found in the last solution. There they were about to 
germinate, and here they had germinated into a fungus of the 
Penicillium type. In one mass the mycelium had produced four 
or five much larger filaments, terminating in artichoke-like heads 
of different sizes, bearing naked spores. Though two of the 
organisms met with in the last experiment were here reproduced, 
this was not the case with the spirally-twisted fibre organism. 
Fic, 12.—Fungus found in the Solution containing Tartrate of Ammonia 
and Phosphate of Soda. 
A few actively moving granules and particles of various 
shapes were seen, though, as in the last solution, there was 
nothing resembling a bacterium. Spherules which seemed to 
represent different stages in the development of the fungus- 
spores were met with, varying in size from that of an almost 
inappreciable speck up to that of the perfect spore, which itself 
varied considerably in size at the time that it began to germinate. 
In one of these fungus-spores which was about half grown, the 
nuclear particle within was seen actively moving from end to end 
of the cell.* 
Experiment 14.—A saturated solution of tartrate of ammonia 
and phosphate of soda i vacuo, prepared in same manner as 
the last solution and at the same time, though opened on the 
thirty-fifth day, yielded no organisms of any kind. 
Experiment 14a.—(In this and in the following experiment 
the solutions were not contained 7 vacwo, but were intended 
rather to throw light upon the question as to whether the 
vacuum was favourable or prejudicial to the appearance and 
growth of organisms in these saline solutions. ) 
Fic. 13.—Spirally Twisted Fibre Organism. 
A. solution of tartrate of ammonia and phosphate of soda in 
distilled water was boiled for 20 minutes, and was then allowed 
* In Experiments 12 and 13, the’actual strength of the saline solutions was 
not known, but in these as well as in Experiments 14a and 144, there may 
haye been about 15 grains of tartrate of ammonia, with about 5 grains of 
phosphate of soda to an ounce of water. ‘ 
NATURE 
197 
to cool, so as to become filled with air at ordinary atmo- 
spheric pressure (which might have contained living germs, 
since no precaution was taken to destroy them). The neck of 
the flask was then hermetically sealed, and this was not opened 
till the thirty-eighth day, when the fluid was found to have a 
decidedly acid reaction. 
The fluid never showed any signs of turbidity, and no pellicle 
formed on its surface, though a small white flocculent mass 
had been seen at the bottom of the flask for three weeks, 
which yery slowly increased in size. 
The white mass (Fig. 13, @) was picked out, and on microscopi- 
cal examination it was found to be made up for the most part of 
a spirally-twisted fibre organism, very similar to that which was 
produced in a similar solution 7 vacuo. The spiral twisting 
was, however, even more marked, and the fibre in many places 
was somewhat thicker. * 
In addition, two or three small fungus-spores were seen, very 
similar to those met with in Experiment 12; and there were also 
some confervoid-looking filaments with irregular masses of proto- 
plasm in the interior, occurring sparingly here and there, similar 
to those which were met with in much larger quantity in the 
former experiment. Four or five larger cells were seen with 
very thick walls, closely resembling the sporangia of some fungi, 
and in one of them, measuring 7,5,” in diameter, many granules 
were present exhibiting the most active molecular movements. 
The contents of the other cells could not be made out, as they 
were so much obscured by the fibre organism in the midst of 
which they were imbedded. 
Experiment 14/.—A solution of tartrate of ammonia and 
phosphate of soda in distilled water, without having been boiled, 
was exposed to the air t ina flask, and was then examined micro- 
scopically on the thirtieth day. The re-action of the fluid at this 
time was neutral. 
There was no pellicle on, or opacity of the fluid, but a small 
whitish mass of matter had been seen at the bottom of the flask 
for the last fortnight, which slowly increased in size, till at last 
it formed a mass bigger than a mustard seed. 
On microscopical examination this whitish flocculent matter 
was found to be made up principally of an enormous aggregation 
of Sarcina-like material, the divisions of which were rather more 
sharply defined though they were about equal in size to the Sercina 
which is occasionally met with in urine. 
Several fungus-spores were also seen (Fig. 13, c) larger than, 
though otherwise similar to, those met with in Aaferiments 12, 13, 
and 14a. There were none of the confervoid-looking filaments 
or of the spirally-twisted organisms. 
* Tt has been suggested to me by a friend whose opinion carries great 
weight with it, that this is not an organism which had grown in the solutions, 
but rather some non-living accidental product which had gained access to the 
solutions. This was a suggestion which deserved a most attentive considera- 
tion, more especially as in two other experiments, which will not be cited, 
foreign bodies were found inthe solutions. Are these spiral-fibre masses, then, 
mere non-living débrzs of some kind? It was suggested that they were 
spiral ducts of some plant broken up and modified by the boiling process 
which they had undergone. 
With reference to this question it seems most desirable to state, in the first 
place, that such a spiral-fibre mass has been met with four times in solu- 
tions containing a mixture of tartrate of ammonia and phosphate of soda, 
though never in solutions containing tartrate of ammonia alone, and in fact 
it has never been found in any other kind of solution except in one whose 
chemical constitution was almost precisely similar to the mixture above 
named. This seemed to indicate that it might have been contained within 
or upon the crystals of phosphate of soda. Successive solutions, however, 
of many of these in a watch-glass have shown no trace of such fibre- 
masses (and it may be well to add, perhaps, that a similar statement holds 
good for the crystals of tartrate of ammonia). These masses of spiral fibre, 
found only in solutions of a given chemical constitution, have been seen 
to increase in size from week to week. The Rev. M. J. Berkeley, who was 
kind enough to examine my specimens, could not identify them with any 
known cryptogamic organisms. 
If they were really altered spiral ducts, then, seeing that they have only 
been met with in solutions of a certain chemical constitution, they ought 
to have been contained in the saline substances employed. But an exa- 
mination of such saline substances as above stated, does not show a trace of 
these fibre-masses. All the spiral ducts which I have examined, moreover— 
even after boiling—polarise beautifully, whilst these spirally twisted fibre- 
masses do not give the least trace of colour reactions with polarised light. And 
lastly, in certain parts the apparently solid spiral fibre seems to become de- 
cidedly tubular, and in other places it widens out into flat expansions of a 
peculiar character. In one of these expansions (Fig. 13, 4) differentiation 
rail apparently taken place, which had led to the production of a spore-like 
ody. 
ee miewhal similar twisted fibre-organism was met with in Experi- 
ment 16, though here it was evidently in an embryonic condition. (Fig. 15.) 
It seemed to be then arising by a process of differentiation taking place in a 
pellicular mass. 
+ A piece of paper merely, was loosely inserted into the mouth of the flask 
with the view of keeping out as much dirt as possible. 
