Ward • — A Violet Bacillus from the Thames. 67 
the individual Bacilli is such as to lead one to expect that 
each has one or more. 
As already stated, I have entirely failed, after many attempts, 
to make this Schizomycete develop recognizable spores. In 
old cultures on agar or gelatine the rods and filaments, both 
long and short, are usually found to contain small stainable 
bodies, which, owing to their brightness and general appear- 
ance in the fresh preparations, are often very like spores ; 
especially when, as frequently occurs, they lie singly in the 
rodlets or at regular intervals in the filaments. These are 
not spores, however, for they stain as readily with the ordinary 
bacillar dyes — -such as methylene-blue and methyl- violet — as 
they do with carbolized fuchsin, and aniline, methyl-violet, & c. 
Moreover, these stainable masses are of all sizes, and in all 
positions ; there is nothing definite or spore-like about them. 
In old cultures they are also often met with in the interior of 
giant rods and filaments of irregular shapes, which are obviously 
of the nature of the so-called involution forms. 
All attempts to get them to germinate have failed, and they 
do not withstand high temperatures : moreover, the rodlets 
and filaments containing them are still capable of further 
growth and division when placed in hanging-drops. On the 
evidence, therefore, I conclude that no spores are developed 
under ordinary conditions. 
The following table exhibits a summary of the characters. 
Violet Bacillus. 
Habitat. In the Thames , especially in winter , and not a common for?n. 
Morphological Rodlets or filaments, from 2-3 /x to 60 /x and upwards long by 
characters. about 0.75 to o-8 fx broad. Often quiescent, but may be actively 
motile. Involution-forms in old cultures. No spores found. 
In old cultures the rodlets are so short as to be almost cocci. 
Gelatine-plates. Visible in about three days at 15-20° C. At first small, milk- 
white, opaque, circular colonies, growing very slowly. Under the 
microscope they are yellowish, granular, and. sometimes faintly 
zoned ; on emerging to the surface they spread irregularly in very 
thin sheets, with notched margins. May be rugose and contoured 
like Typhoid. Violet pigment begins to show faintly about the 
tenth day, and the gelatine is softening and liquefying immediately 
