Budding commences in the form of a simple protuberance on the cell—a kind of little boss, as represented in Fig. 26, No. 1. This protuberance goes on increasing, and assumes a spherical or oval form. At the same time, there is a tendency in the points of attachment in the young cell to meet—a kind of strangulation occurs (Fig. 26, No. 2). The junction takes place a little sooner or later, according to the species (Fig. 26, No. 3); the two individuals then separate (Fig. 26, No. 4). In certain cases a single cell may give rise to several protuberances, and, consequently, to several daughter-cells. Where there is only one protuberance or bud we generally see it originate at the thick end and a little on one side of the apex of the oval outline, which, in a greater or less degree, characterizes the cells of the majority of ferments. Certain authors have maintained that the method of budding which we have just described, and which we think was first promulgated by Mitscherlich, is merely an illusion, and that the cells of yeast break up and scatter their granular contents, and that these scattered granules eventually attach themselves to the cells, growing there, and so giving the appearance of buds or daughter-cells. This error has been revived quite recently.[83] Nothing can be less admissible. We could count the number of yeast cells which we have seen undergo this process of rupture in the course of some ten years of observation, every day of which, we may say, thousands of these cells have passed under our eyes. This breaking up of the cells is really of the most rare occurrence, and may always be explained by some abnormal circumstance affecting the yeast; being indeed a mechanical accident, not a physiological fact. We may easily convince ourselves of this by growing some yeast in a saccharine wort, filtered perfectly clear, and, consequently, deprived of all granular amorphous deposit that might deceive the observer. The cells will be observed to bud and multiply without exhibiting the most minute appearance of granulation, or disruption; moreover, there will always be cells of all sizes, ranging from the smallest visible up to the largest. This very simple piece of observation may be made in all the alcoholic ferments, and with any wort capable of fermenting, and in its presence the hypothesis, which we have been repudiating, cannot hold its own.