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XIV. 



OK A ^"EV GEXUS OE BACTERIA {ASTROBACTER). Br 

 A. YATJGHAlSr JENJs^IKGS, E.L.S., E.G.S. 



(Plates YI. axd YII.) 



[communicated by the seceetakt.] 



[Read December 14, 1896.] 



The organism that forms the subject of the present note has 

 unfortunately not been observed in the living condition, but its- 

 appearance and general characters seem to me sufficiently remark- 

 able to justify my calling to it the attention of those interested 

 in the study of Bacteria, It Tvas found in stagnant water in the 

 neighbourhood of Tubingen by my friend, Mr. Coppen-Jones, of 

 Davos, who kindly placed the material at my disposal for further 

 study and description. 



The water contained a great number of specimens of Spirillum 

 undula, and special preparations were made by Loffler's method to 

 demonstrate the cilia in this species. In the mounted slides^ 

 numerous examples of the organism now under consideration were 

 observed, but, unluckily, only after the material had been thrown 

 away. The photographs reproduced herewith (PL YI.) will, however, 

 convince the reader of its actual existence ; and if this communi- 

 cation serves no other purpose, it may, at least, lead other observers 

 to look for the same or similar bodies, and to justify or correct the 

 views as to its nature now suggested. 



With a moderate magnifying power one observes among the 

 Spirilla a number of deeply-stained star-like bodies composed of 

 a varying number of rays. The more evident examples have some 

 eight or ten rays, but a series of simpler forms will soon be found 

 with six, five, or four rays ; then Y-shaped forms, and, finally, 

 simple rods. 



One of the latter (Pl.YII. fig. 1) may then be taken as a starting- 

 point ; a simple rod-like bacterium with no special characteristics 

 that can be noted in the preparations in question. The next stage 



