182 Transactions of the Sod'/;/. 



remembered, in addition to a front flagelhim, lias also a long fibre or 

 flagellum-like appendage that gracefully trails as it swims. At certain 

 periods of their life these forms anchor themselves in countless billions 

 all over the fermenting tissues, and, as 1 have described in the life- 

 history of this form,* they coil their anchored fibre as does a vorti- 

 cellan, bringing the body to the level of the point of anchorage, then 

 shoot out the body with lightning-like rapidity, and bring it down 

 like a hammer on some point of the decomposition. It nsts here 

 for a second or two and repeats the process ; and this is taking 

 place by what seems almost like rhythmic movement all over the 

 rotting tissue. The results are scarcely visible in the mass ; but if 

 a group of these organisms be watched, attached to a small particle 

 of the fermenting tissue, it will be seen to gradually diminish, and at 

 length to disappear. 



Now there are at least two other similar forms, one of which, 

 Heteromita uncinata, is similar in action, and the other of which, 

 DaUingeria Drysdali, is much more powerful, being possessed of a 

 double anchor, and springing down upon the decadent mass with 

 relatively far greater power. 



Now it is under the action of these last forms, that in a period, 

 varying from one month to two or three, the entire substance of the 

 organic tissues disappears, and the decomposition has been designated 

 by me " exhausted " ; nothing being left in the vessel but slightly 

 noxious and pale grey water, charged with carbonic acid, and a fine 

 buff-coloured impalpable sediment at the bottom. 



My purpose is not, by this brief notice, to give an exhaustive, or 

 even a sufficient account of the progress of fermentative action, by 

 means of saprophytic organisms, on great masses of tissue ; my obser- 

 vations have been incidental, but they lead me to the conclusion that 

 the fermentative process is not only not carried through by what are 

 called Saprophytic Bacteria, but that a series of fermentative organisms 

 arise, which succeed each other, the earlier one preparing the pabulum 

 or altering the surrounding medium, so as to render it highly favour- 

 able to a succeeding form. On the other hand, the succeeding form 

 has a special adaptation for carrying on the fermentative destruction 

 more efficiently, from the period at which it arises, and thus ultimately 

 of setting free the chemical elements locked up in dead organic com- 

 pounds. 



That these later organisms are saprophytic, although not bacterial, 

 there can be no doubt. A set of experiments recorded by me in the 

 1 Proceedings ' of this Society some years since, would go far to establish 

 this.f But it may be readily shown, by extremely simple experiments, 

 that these forms will set up fermentative decomposition rapidly, if in- 

 troduced in either a desiccated or living condition, or in the spore 

 state, into suitable but sterilized pabulum. 



Thus, while we have specific ferments which bring about definite 



* Mon. Micr. Journ., xi. (1874) pp. 7 et seq. 

 t Ibid., xvi. (1876) p. 288. 



