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Native spores of Bacillus megaterium Texas, and H-spores produced by titration of native spores to pH 4 with mineral acid, did not germinate in a solution of alanine and inosine unless a strong electrolyte was present. Ca-spores prepared from either H-spores or native spores did germinate efficiently in the same solution without a strong electrolyte. Of several other bivalent cations tested, only strontium and barium could substitute for calcium in conditioning spores for subsequent germination in the absence of an electrolyte. Variable responses were obtained with different metal ion forms of 62 unidentified soil isolates and several stock species of Bacillus. Although the pattern of response was not uniform in all organisms, ions played a crucial role in the germinability of the great majority of strains tested.