ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 335 



Mycetozoa. 



(By A. LoRRAiN Smith, F.L.S.) 



New Ceratiomyxa.* — Fr. Xavier Skupieiiski describes the new 

 mjcetozoon, Ceratiomyxa sphserospora, a minute species scarcely visible 

 to the naked eye, which grew on a piece of decayed wood at Fontaine- 

 bleau. The size of the unbranched sporophores and the form of the 

 spores differentiate the new species from those already described. 



Schizophy ta . 

 Schizomycetes. 



Further Note on Bacterial Parasites of the Cockchafer.f — A. 

 Paillott has previously described three new bacterial infections of the 

 common cockchafer {Melolontha vulgaris). In the present communication 

 some further notes are given with regard to their pathogenicity. 



DipJococcus melolontlise — This organism takes some two or three days 

 to kill the cockchafer. Its virulence is not increased by passage, and the 

 grubs of Lymantria dispar and the silk-worm are very refractory to 

 inoculation, the diplococci being rapidly phagocytosed and have not time 

 to multiply in the organism. 



DipJoiaciUus meJoIonthse is more pathogenic for the cockchafer than 

 the diplococcus. Eight insects showed septicaBmia after twenty-four 

 hours' inoculation, and one died of infection. The microbe is also 

 shghtly pathogenic for the grubs of Lymantria dispar. The mortality 

 among inoculated silk-worms was some 30 to 40 p.c. 



Bacillus hoplosternus is very pathogenic for the cockchafer. At first 

 passage, death followed in from twenty-four to thirty-six hours ; on the 

 second passage in less than twenty-four hours. The caterpillars of 

 Vanessa are very sensitive to the action of the bacillus, dying in from 

 twenty to twenty-four hours on the first passage, and from six to seven 

 hours on the second. At this degree of virulence it is capable of killing the 

 larvai^er os. After the death of the grub the bacteria rapidly increase 

 in number, and form spores. Inoculation of the grubs of Lymantria 

 dispar shows irregular mortality. Some of the larvEe die in twenty- 

 four hours, but others apparently have natural immunity to the infec- 

 tion and survive the experiment. The bacilli found in the blood in 

 these cases are modified, appearing as small, swollen, non-sporing 

 elements. 



Atypical Strain of Bacillus Paratyphosus B.J— R. J. Weissenbach 

 has isolated from the blood of a case of clinical enterica infection an 

 organism presenting the cultural and morphological characters of the 



* Bull. Soc. Mycol. France, xxsii. (1916) pp. 37-41 (3 figs.). 

 t C.R. Soc. Biol. Paris, Ixxx. (1917) pp. 56-8. 

 X C.R. Soc. Biol. Paris, Ixxx. (1917) pp. 91-4. 



