68 Tlie American Naturalist [January, 



and has recently published his conclusions. According to his account 

 Hassall was the first to detect this microscopic creature in its chosen habi- 

 tat. He described it under the name of Bodo nrinarnis, as an animalcula 

 i-sins inch long and yfcg inch wide, of rapid motion, generally round or 

 oval, presenting a granular appearance, sometimes they are broader at 

 one end. The long lashes, by means of which they move, are variable 

 in number and proceed when there are two or three to each animalcule 

 from opposite extremities ; reproduction by longitudinal fission. In 

 1885 Kunstler found "small monads .... flagellate, transparent and 

 very active .... probably Bodo urinarius." 



In reviewing the subject, M. Barrois gives detailed accounts of these 

 discoveries, and of the condition of the urine in which they appear. He 

 then describes his own methods of investigation, and compares the 

 drawings of specimens, after Hasslar and Kuntsler, with the infusoria 

 he himself had found existing under similar conditions as those de- 

 scribed by the authors mentioned. M. Barrois lays particular stress 

 upon the fact that the infusoria found by him, only appeared in urine 

 plainly alkaline, which contained animal matter (broken down epithelial 

 cells, pus, albumen), and which had been exposed sometime to the air. 

 In no case did he find them in fresh urine. Hassall's notes show a similar 

 set of conditions in his case. Kunstler, however, claims to have found 

 the infusoria in fresh urine in company with several species of bacteria. 

 M. Barrois is of the opinion that Kunstler^ was deceived as to the age 

 of the urine given him for examination, since in all other respects the 

 conditions (as to animal matter, etc.) agree with those of Hassler and 

 the author. In view of these condition- M. Barrois does not agree with 

 the statement made that Bodo urinarins is a parasite. He is rather of 

 the opinion that it exists in the air in a spore-like form ready to devel- 

 op whenever it is brought in contact with a suitable nidus. This it 

 finds in urine conditioned as above described. 



In the course of his discussion, M. Barrois refers to Trichomonas 

 vaginalis Doune, found by Salisbury in the urine and vaginal mucous 

 of a young girl aged sixteen, supposed to be parasitic, and to certain 

 Trichomonads found by Marchand and also by Miura ; in all probability 

 T. vaginali*. In the two latter cases, the infusoria was found living in 

 freshly voided urine, so it would appear to be a true parasite. In both 

 cases the urine ua- loaded with decomposing matter. 



By an ingenious experiment, Miura demonstrated that the Trichom- 

 onads lived in the urethra oiilv, and was not found in the bladder. 



As to the classification of the Monads, M. Barrois considers it ex- 

 . dispantioa of 



