266 
Experiments on 
r Monthly Microscopical 
L Journal, Nov. 1, 1869. 
On the B8tli day tlie vibriones had attained to a large size, and 
were three or four jointed, most of them having a large globose 
head ; and I observed that the portions between each articulation 
were slightly curved, having a faint bluish tint. Professor Clarke, 
in his investigations into the structure of muscle and muscular 
fibre, says, although with great reluctance, he must admit the 
truth of what he has seen, and that is, he has observed portions 
of muscular fibre, or the fibrillae, break away from the mass and 
swim away as vibriones. So that in fact the common muscular fibre 
of our and other bodies appears to be only collections of vibriones, 
remaining in an inactive state until liberated by the decomposition 
of the matter holding the vibriones together. 
Now the fibrillae of portions of muscle that I have examined 
from the liver of a fowl give me just the idea of vibriones being 
packed together transversely: they are the same in colour, the 
same in measurement, and the articulations are the same distance 
apart, and I beheve it would be impossible to separate the free 
fibrillae from the vibriones. I have myself seen two or three 
fibrillae partly liberated from a piece of muscle moving about in 
the same manner as the vibriones ; but when all the infusion is a 
mass of life, I could not positively say that what I saw was volun- 
tary motion. At the same time, I feel convinced in my own mind 
that it was so. 
I now come to the last group to which I have to draw atten- 
tion, and these are some very remarkable vibriones. Generally 
speaking, these animals are simple — one to three or four articulated 
cylindrical creatures ; but though the greater part of those in the 
infusion were simple, there were also amongst them a great many 
branched forms ; some of the most curious I have sketched here 
(Figs. 20, 21, 22). These were observed rolling and tumbling 
about the fluid in a very remarkable manner. They were all tinted 
of a delicate blue colour, and those that I have sketched measured 
from To*o oths to tq^q oths of an inch long. In the earlier stages of 
vibrionic life they are without the rounded heads ; they seem only 
to take it upon themselves to wear heads at all towards the latter 
part of their lives. Some I observed in the beef infusion on the 
52nd day had monstrous heads, belonging evidently to the Macro- 
cejohali. Some had two heads, one at each end ; but these, I pre- 
sume, would divide at the septa, and form two animals. 
I will conclude with relating the experiment I prosecuted with 
the third vessel that I mentioned at the commencement of this 
paper. I began, June 8th, at two p.m., by taking a thoroughly 
clean glass vessel, and scalding it with boiling water. I then took 
out a piece of mackerel from the most fleshy part of the back 
towards the head ; I carefully turned back the skin so that the 
part I took should not have been brought into contact with the air 
