ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
211 
nucleus is not the psychical centre of the cell. These and other con- 
clusions based on experiment are vividly restated. 
Parasitic Vorticellse.* — In some recent cultivation experiments 
Herr Lindner noted the development of an iridescent scum on the 
surface of the medium, and in this observed small round bodies endowed 
with lively movements. They were about three to six times less in size 
than a red corpuscle, and multiplied with extraordinary rapidity. These 
forms were often associated with Bacilli , Spirilla, &c., and if these latter 
predominated, then only the lower developmental stages of Vorticella 
were found, that is, coccoid and cercomonad forms, which like bacteria, 
appeared to increase independently by fission. When the round microbe 
had the upper hand then the development of large Vorticellse proceeded 
apace. The very great resistance of Vorticellse to drying enabled the 
author to procure pure cultivations by immersing wood splinters in the 
scum and allowing them to dry for four to even twelve weeks, by which 
time the Schizomycetes were dead. By the same method the author 
also obtained pure cultivations of Vorticellse in their lowest stages of 
development. These lowest developmental stages were also found in 
pig’s blood-serum, and by cultivating in dilute meat-broth countless 
Vorticellae were obtained in seven to eight days. The author observed 
that living unstalked Vorticellse meander for considerable distances in 
the intermuscular connective tissue of animals before they encapsule 
themselves. 
In the earlier part of the author’s paper are recapitulated his previous 
observations, one of which in connection with parasitism may be men- 
tioned. The author says he found Vorticellse very frequently in nasal 
and pharyngeal catarrh, and also in the hairy scalp of man, where they 
produce eczema. By inoculating Vorticella fluid on the scalp he suc- 
ceeded in producing an eczematous eruption, accompanied by lymph- 
angitis and swelling of the lymphatic glands. 
Balantidium viride, an Infusorian Pathogenic to Pigeons.f — Herr 
P. Willach describes a disease of pigeons in which the principal post- 
mortem appearances were a greyish-red hepatization of the lungs, the 
adjacent bronchi being filled with a granular detritus. In the liver and 
muscles numerous small yellow nodules were found. Parasitic Infusoria 
were discovered in all these necrotic foci. In shape they were oval, and 
in size somewhat larger than the bird’s red corpuscle. There was a 
faintly granular nucleus, a bright nucleolus, and the protoplasm, except 
of the nucleus, had a decided green colour. The whole body was 
covered with short thick cilia, and these were clearly visible even about 
the mouth, which was a triangular depression at one extremity. No 
anus was observed. Slow movements were visible in all the parasites 
when inspected under the Microscope. 
The author considers these organisms to belong to the subclass 
Holotricha, and designates them on account of their resemblance to 
Balantidium and of their green colour as “ Balantidium ( Paramoecium ) 
viride.” 
* Deutsche Med. Zeitung, 1893, No. 82. See Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Para- 
sitenk., xv. (1894) pp. 84-6. 
t Arch, f. Wiss. u. Prakt. Tierheilkuude, xix. (1893) Nos. 1 and 2. See Cen- 
tralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., xv. (1894) pp. 83=4. 
