252 



Prof. H. C. Bastian on Heterogenetic 



[Mar. 21, 



of the vessel. Three or four days later it was found that the portions of 

 the surface of the fluid which had thus been left uncovered were coated 

 by a delicate, brownish film, which, when examined, displayed appearances 



Fig. 4. — Similar Organisms segmenting into brown Fungus-germs or 

 growing into Amozbce. ( X 16/0.) 



a, a. Motionless corpuscles of various sizes. 



b. Similar corpuscles much increased in size. 

 c, d. Segmentation of such corpuscles into brown Fungus-germs. 



e. Appearance of germs when liberated. 

 /,/. Germination of almost similar spores. 

 g, h, i. Gradual conversion of other corpuscles into Arnoebce when transferred to an- 

 other fluid. 



similar to what I have elsewhere represented. An almost invisible and thin 

 gelatinous stratum existed (a kind of formative membrane), in which every 

 intermediate stage could be detected, between the most minute particle and 

 a brownish, thick-walled, biloculated fungus- spore. The smaller bodies 

 were colourless, solid -looking, and highly refractive ; and they seemed 

 much more like mere dead concretions* than living things. All were 

 motionless. Gradually, however, they became less refractive, grew more 

 and more vesicular, and at last assumed a faint brown tint. Although most 

 of them remained as bilocular bodies, others grew and underwent further 

 segmentation, so as to produce tri- and quadrilocular bodies, or " septate 

 spores." During all stages of growth, some of them seemed to undergo an 

 occasional process of fission. They were watched for many days ; but as the 

 germs displayed no tendency to develop f, some of them were immersed in 

 a little syrup upon a glass slip, protected by a covering glass, and then set 

 aside in a damp, air-tight, developmental chamber. After about ten days 



* Such as are represented in fig. 43 of a work about to be published, entitled " The Be- 

 ginnings of Life." Other forms, closely allied to Sarcina, appeared in some ammonic 

 tartrate solutions, and are Sgured in Appendix A of the work above mentioned. 



t This has been very frequently observed on other occasions (see p. 255). 



