JAN 9 1894 
JOURNAL 
OP THE 
ROYAL MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY. 
DECEMBER 1893. 
TRANSACTIONS OF THE SOCIETY. 
XIII. — 'Remarks on some Progressive Phases of Spirillum volutans. 
By R. L. Maddox, M.D., Hon. F.R.M.S., &c. 
(Bead 18 th October , 1893.) 
Plate X. 
An opportunity lately offered of examining Spirillum volutans , as 
found in decomposing blood and garbage from the pit or well of a 
slaughter-house, and some of the appearances of this organism, along 
with others, were recorded and illustrated by figures from photo- 
micrographs in the pages of a contemporary, ‘ The International 
Journal of Microscopy and Natural Science ’ for July. 
But a close examination of one of the slides which had been 
retained for later study has proved so interesting that I venture to 
hope a few remarks may not be unsuited to the pages of this J ournal. 
The period at which the mount was made was apparently that of 
segmentation and swarming, or the formation of colonies. Before 
stating the details, as it will he necessary to refer often to the accom- 
panying figures, it may be as well to state the conditions under which 
they have been made. Firstly, photomicrographs were taken of the 
different organisms which were deemed to carry through or to cover 
EXPLANATION OF PLATE X. 
No. 1, fig. a, b, and No. 2 &*, young Spirillum volutans. 
„ „ c, a single segment becoming notched. 
„ „ d, d\ d 2 , d 3 , and No. 2, 6 , d l , d 2 , the ends or tips progressing towards 
segmentation. 
„ „ e, and No. 2 e l , e 2 , segmentation completed, b th with the flagellum 
attached ; e 3 , the spore free, lying in a deep semicircular depression ; 
e\ still adherent. 
„ ,, /, a long filament with nuclear or spore-like formations in the central 
part, aud near to it a smaller one, or double comma with similar 
changes, and a few scattered spores in the same field. 
„ „ g, the tips of irregular shape, one with the flagellum attached and nearly 
segmented. 
No. 3. — Photomicrograph of a group or colony, the ends of some of the commas or 
joints being segmented. 
„ 4. — A long Spirillum filament with three small spirilla from foetid water, each 
with marked differentiation in the entire plasm. 
l 
