214 



COCCIDIUM OVIFORME. 



part displayed two segments lying one behind the other, although all 

 the parts were meanwhile still joined together by a slightly refractive 

 connective substance. I do not, however, believe that these objects 

 represent the normal state, not only because they only appeared in 

 my infusion when the number of Coccidia containing Psorosperms had 

 increased, but also because they are the prelude to an almost visible 

 destruction of the germs, the details of which will be afterwards 

 summarised. 



Fig. 112. — Coccidia enclosing Psorosperms. 



ISTor can I agree with Eeincke in saying that the Psorosperms are 

 without an envelope, and that it is only the boundary of the rods 

 whicli sometimes presents this appearance. If Eeincke had ever 

 made the experiment of bursting the shells of Coccidia, and press- 

 ing out the Psorosperms, he would have had no further doubt as 

 to the existence of the envelope. It is, as we have said, a thin but 

 sharply defined and tolerably firm membrane, bearing a little knob, as 

 Stieda mentions, at its sharper extremity. 



The clear substance still contained in the interior of the Coccidia- 

 seems to be of a somewhat consistent nature, as may be concluded 

 from the fact that the Psorosperms only rarely change their position 

 under pressure of the cover-glass. One can sometimes further observe 

 (Fig. 112, D) a sharply defined line running down the middle from the 

 micropyle, which looks just like a fold or narrow canal, which is 

 hardly possible in such a fluid plasma. 



At this stage the development of the Coccidia is for the meantime, 

 in my opinion, complete. Like the eggs of Entozoa containing em- 

 bryos, they await an opportunity to gain access into a new host, and 

 this opportunity can hardly fail, for the Coccidia brought to the 

 exterior with the fteces undergo exactly the same changes in the 

 rabbit warren as in our glass vessels, and will therefore rapidly 

 populate these places with countless germs. 



Unfortunately I have not yet had opportunity of proving the 

 possibility of infection by these Coccidia and their Psoi-ospermim, and 

 thus of establishing a^WP °®i*iP°)iy^^''^ i^rendered highly probable by 



