214 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [MARCH 
sporangium forms one true endospore. The cylindrical Spores present a 
somewhat complicated structure : a two-layered membrane exists, the yellow- 
ish outer layer (exine) being raised into ten ridges which traverse the long 
axis. Viewed from the end the spore is star-shaped. The motile rods that 
come from the spores possess tufts of flagella, the small cells having but 
one tuft and the larger never more than from two to four. The individual 
flagella composing the tufts are exceedingly fine and delicate. These 
bunches of cilia are never found at the pole, but are always on the sideo! 
the cell, and are usually disposed asymmetrically. Meyer would found « 
new subfamily and genus (Astasia) upon this curious one-sided arrangemeat 
of ciliary tufts. 
In nearly all stages of development, structures which Meyer regards as 
nuclei may be revealed by certain methods of staining. A staining solution 
that gave particular satisfaction was employed after fixation with osmic acid 
vapor, and was prepared as follows: 0.02% ruthenium red, 6% water, 70 
95 per cent. alcohol. The coloration obtained with this solution is permanest 
in glycerin and glycerin-gelatin, but does not hold in Canada balsam. ¥ 
this method each cell shows one to two and rarely three to four deeply stained 
granular structures. Other nuclear stains were used with similar results, amt 
Meyer looks upon the granules reacting to these stains as true nuclear sub 
Stances. He rejects the view that bacteria are undifferentiated “ protoplast 
or “‘archiplasts,” as well as Biitschli’s conception that the bacterial cell § 
chiefly nuclear substance surrounded by a mere fringe of cytoplasm. 
A study of B. tumescens convinced Meyer that the process of spore . 
mation occurs in this species in the same fashion as in Astasia ee 
accordance with the statements of earlier workers. He is inlet 
extend his observations upon these two species to a generalization wit 
the whole group of bacteria, and to believe that this method of spor £0. 
tion indicates close relationship of the bacteria to the Ascomycetes. 
JorDan. 
y 
are taken up in detail by geographic regions, viz., the Meee sever 
* Eng. Bot. Jahrb, 24: 395-417. 1897. 13 See Bot. GAZ. 23 
