100 
THE OCEAN WORLD. 
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power, traces of very thin, short lines can be perceived, either straight 
or sinuous, the thickest of them not exceeding the thousandth part °* 
the fraction of an inch. They are contractile, and propagated W 
spontaneous division, or fission. Among them some resemble rigl'* 
lines, more or less distinctly articulated, and endowed with a very sl°^ 
movement ; these are Bader idle. Others are flexuous and undulating’ 
and more or less lively ; these are true Vibrions. Others have th® 
body fashioned in the form of a corkscrew, turning unceasingly up 0 ® 
themselves with great rapidity ; these are the Spirillidm, having »® 
oblong fusiform or filiform body, which undulates or turns spirally up 0 ® 
itself. 
The Bacterium termo (Fig. 28) is the smallest of the Infusoria, 
is found, at the end of a short time, in all vegetable or animal infusion 9 
exposed to the air. It shows itself in infini te 
numbers, forming swarms of animalcule 9 ’ 
which disappear as other species multiply 
in the liquid, to which animals it serves f° r 
nourishment. When the infusion become 9 
too foetid for these new species to live in & 
in consequence of fermentation or putref» c ' 
tion, the Bacterium termo reappears. Tl)i 9 
species was one of the first observed; Leu wenhoek found it in the wh' te 
matter in the teeth and gums, which is called teeth tartar. It is also 
found in the fluids of various animals which have been affected by disea 90. 
The Wand-like Vibrion (Fig. 29) has the body transparent, fil*' 
form, with long articulations, often appearing as if broken at ea®* 1 
connection. It moves very slowly in the water. Leuwenhoek obserf^ 
this second species joined to the first in the teeth tartar, and ab° 
in a great number of organic inf 11 ' 
sions. “ There is no microscope 
object,” says Dujardin, “ which excite 
the admiration of the observer m° r ° 
vividly than the twisting spirill®® 1 
(Fig. 30). He is struck with surpD 96 
when he first contemplates this lit^ 
creature, which, under the great® 9 *' 
magnifying power, only presents th® 
Fig. 28. Bacterium 
Termo (Mtiller), 
magnified 600 times. 
The same, 
magnified 
1 600 times. 
V) 
-v 
Fig. 29. Vibrion 
Fig. 30. Spirillum 
Baguette (Muller), 
Tournoyant (Ehi\), 
magnified 300 
magnified 300 times. 
times. 
appearance of 
a thin black 
