148 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Descending towards the town, Mercurialis anntia 

 is abundant, though hitherto unrecorded as a Hert- 

 fordshire plant ; and in the town, in a small garden in 

 the Alma Roadj^'a fine specimen of Sphynx Neri 

 occurred a few years ago ; this was duly exhibited 

 and recorded at the time. 



This year Sphynx convolvuli was taken in my 

 garden, and formerly the curious little wrinkled 

 Tortrix Phthcochroa rugosaita, was not uncommon. 

 The valley that separates the town from the railway 

 and gives its name to the station — Boxmoor — looks 

 good ; it has all the appearance of a prolific hunting- 

 ground ; but alas ! this is all that can be said about 

 it — to the entomologist it is still a terra incognita, it is 

 still unexplored and unsugared. As regards its plants, 

 Gcum rivale was to be found some years ago in its 

 northern extremity, but of late it has disappeared. 



We now come to the moorland that rises above the 

 station : far and wide an extensive sweep of wild land 

 stretches to the west, and among the many nooks and 

 corners worth investigation (for Galium cruciatiim 

 grows here), one choice spot known as the Bury Wood 

 tops the lot, both as regards its insect productions 

 and its geographical position. Unguicula, Viretata, 

 Vernaria, Undularia, Quercana, Prasinana, Derasa, 

 Batis, Turca, Herbida, Pyramidea, are all to be found 

 in and about it. It is worth a visit decidedly ; and 

 there is no doubt, were it better known to the " fra- 

 ternity," many an "honest fly" might be picked up 

 here. 



These then are some of the results of the operations 

 of the Hemel Hempsted Natural History Society ; 

 they are small, but the difficulties have been great. 



To explain this, just one anecdote. An application 

 had been made to a large landed proprietor for per- 

 mission to botanise in his wood ; after a short delay 

 the permission was granted, accompanied with a word 

 of advice — it would be useless, for his gamekeeper 

 assured him "there are no flowers in the wood." 



B. PiFFARD. 



NOTES ON THE SCHIZOMYCETES. 



IN consequence of the great interest which attaches 

 at the present moment to the disease-producing 

 fungi, and the probability that before long all infectious 

 diseases will be proved to be the effect of the presence 

 of some form of bacteria or allied species, I have 

 thought that it would be interesting to many readers 

 of this journal to have presented to them a list of the 

 Schizomycetes {i.e. " splitting-fungi "), translated from 

 the latest work on the subject, Dr. L. Rabenhorst's 

 " Kryptogamen-Flora." Without further preface, I 

 will begin with the most important genus, Micrococ- 

 cus, merely remarking that I have done nothing but 

 translate Dr. Winter's clear and excellent descriptions. 

 W. B. Grove, B.A., 

 Hon. Sec, Birmingham Natural History 

 and Microscopical Society. 



Schizomycetes. 



I. Micrococcus, Cohn. Cells colourless or of a 

 pale tint, roimd or oval-elliptic, viotionless, dividing in 

 one direction only. The daughter-cells either soon 

 separate from one another, or remain united in a chain 

 of t7vo or more, or form Zooglcca. Formation of the 

 spores not certainly known. 



The accepted species of Micrococcus show very little or no 

 difference in form and size, and there remains only chemical 

 action as a means of separating the species, which is therefore 

 treated somewhat fully. 



8 ■»> 







o 



CIS" p 



8 



cP 







# 



8 



^ " 



9 



Fig. 103. — a, Micrococcus vaccina: ; b, M. urece (after Cohn) ; 

 c, M. ovaius (after Lebert). 



A.— Pigment-forming Species. 



1. M. prodigiosus, Cohn. 



Monas prodigiosa, Ehrenburg. 



Pahnella prodigiosa, Mont.; Cooke, "British 



Freshwater Algae," p. 12. 

 Bacteridium prodigiosum, Schroter. 



Cells round or oval, colourless, about ^-i ^u* in 

 diameter, forming at first rose-red, then blood-red, at 

 last pallid gelatinous masses. 



On nitrogenous substances, e.g., on cooked potatoes, 

 meat, wheat-bread, white of egg, starch-paste, &c. 



M. prodigiosus is that organism which produces the long- 

 known peculiar appearance, formerly designated " blood-rain," 

 on bread, on the " host," etc. It forms at first little rose-red 

 points and heaps, which by degrees increase to rounded bright- 

 red spots, and afterwards become confluent to wide-spread, even 

 dripping, blood-red patches. These consist of a red-tinted 

 mucous mass, in which thousands of millions of micrococcus 

 cells are embedded. These cells are themselves colourless, but 

 they secrete the red colouring matter in the mucus. This 

 colouring matter is very similar to fuchsin in its physical and 

 chemical relations. It is not soluble in water, but completely 

 so in alcohol ; the solution, evaporated and again dissolved, is 

 orange-red ; the colour is changed by acids into a bright car- 

 mine, by alkalies into yellow. In the spectroscope it shows, 

 among others, a characteristic broad absorption band in the 

 green. 



Palmella mirijica, Rabenh., can scarcely be anything dif- 

 ferent. 



2. M. luteus, Cohn. 



Bacteridium luteum, Schroter. 



Cells elliptic, somewhat larger than in M. prodi- 

 giosus, with highly refractive cell-contents, forming, 

 on a solid substratum, clear yellow drops, which at first 

 are as large as a poppy-seed, and afterwards as a half- 

 peppercorn ; at last drying up to flat shield-shaped 

 umbilicate discs. On nourishing fluids this species 

 forms a thick yellow skin, which becomes plaited 

 when luxuriantly developed. 



On cooked potatoes, &c. 



Colouring matter insoluble in water, unchanged by sulphuric 

 acid and alkalies. 



* I M (pronounced mu) ='001 mm. = gilso of an inch. 



