SCHIZOMYCETES AND SACCHAROMYCETES 293 



defined by De Bary. In this there is a combination of spore 

 formation and of fission; the mother cell undergoes division into 

 a series of daughter cells, a few of which differ from the rest 

 in very important and essential points. There appear to be 

 two kinds of anthrospores : one form, met with in Leuconostoc, 

 for example, where simple vegetative division of small round 

 bacteria goes on regularly, so long as the conditions are favour- 

 able, and a regular chain is formed. In this chain there 

 appear at intervals micrococci, which differ from the remainder 

 of the elements of the chain in the following points. As soon 

 as the conditions of nutrition are altered they do not, like the 

 other parts of the chain, die off, but they become somewhat 

 larger than the rest, acquire a more distinct outline, become 

 thicker- walled, and their protoplasm grows darker. Eventually 

 they become free by the deliquescence of the gelatinous envelope, 

 and may claim the name of spores, because, when placed in the 

 fresh nutrient solution, they develop into new rows of beads 

 like those of the mother plant. This body has most of the 

 characteristics of the resting spore, but it is not formed within 

 the protoplasm of the vegetative organism, but by a process of 

 fission, and as a result of vegetative division. It is possible 

 that there is as much differentiation of the protoplasm as there 

 is where the spore is formed within the cell, the only distinc- 

 tion being that the separation between the spore and the 

 vegetative element of the chain takes place at an earlier stage, 

 and more completely, than in endospore production. The 

 reverse takes place in Bacterium Zopfii, which, during the 

 vegetative stage, consists of short rods, then of motionless 

 filaments, and, if the temperature be lowered, of short motile 

 rods. As soon as conditions become unfavourable the rods, 

 apparently by a simple process of fission, are divided into 

 short roundish cells, which retain their vitality for a consider- 

 able time, and, when placed under favourable conditions, act as 

 spores — that is to say, they develop into the original charac- 

 teristic rod-shaped bacteria. 



The functions of the Schizomycetes have been described 

 as exciting peculiar decompositions, and transforming com- 

 plicated chemical combinations into simpler ones. This 

 chemical action consists in the production and excretion of 



