130 BOTANY. 



cylindrical cells, whict are motionless. It occurs in the blood of 

 animals suffering from anthrax. 



5. The bacterium of consumption (Bacillus tuberculosis), of very 

 slender cylindrical, motionless cells, has recently been shown to 

 occur in the lungs and air-passages of consumptive patients. 



6. The bacterium of leprosy (Bacillus leprae), of cells similar to the 

 preceding, but larger, is found in the tissues of those afflicted with 

 leprosy. 



7. The bacterium of diphtheria (Bacillus diptherise), somewhat 

 similar to the preceding, is present in the false membranes in the 

 pharynx in diphtheria. 



Practical Studies. — (n) Put a pinch of cut hay or any other similar 

 vegetable substance into a glass of water ; keep in a warm room for 

 a couple of days, or until it becomes turbid (from the abundance of 

 bacteria) ; examine a minute drop with the highest powers of the 

 microscope for active bacteria. 



(6) Put a bit of fresh meat into water, and study the bacteria which 

 will appear in it. Spiral forms like g. Fig. 63, may often be found 

 in such a preparation. 



(c) Examine the juices of decaying fruits. 



Systematic Literature. — Grove, Bacteria and Yeast Fungi. Sac- 

 cardo, Sylloge Fungorum 8. 



APPENDIX TO PROTOPHYTA. 

 The " Slime-moulds " (Mycbtozoa). 



A. Their Place among Living Things. — These organisms have com- 

 monly been regarded as plants, and in former editions of this book 

 they were treated as protophytes. De Bary long ago placed them 

 ' ' under the name of My cetozoa outside the limits of the Vegetable 

 Kingdom," and this opinion as to their position is now shared by 

 many biologists. They show no close affinity to any groups in the 

 Vegetable Kingdom, but possibly may have some relationship to the 

 bacteria. It may be that the Mycetozoa have descended from the 

 bacteria, by a still further degeneration from the normal structure of 

 the Schizophyceae. Should this suggestion prove true, we might 

 still question their right to a place in the Vegetable Kingdom, since 

 they have departed so widely from the normal plant-structure. They 

 are taken up here as organisms outside of the Vegetable Kingdom, 

 but near to its lower limits, but the student is warned not to regard 

 them as plants. 



B. Structure. — A Slime-mould is a mass of naked, shapeless proto- 

 plasm (Fig. 63) during all the growing part of its life. In some 

 species it is no larger than a pin-head, while in others it is as large 



