ZOOT,OGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 689 



compounds which are prejudicial to the growth of lower organisms, 

 especially in the case of moulds. The general result is a diminution 

 of the we ; ght of the mycelium and a speedy assumption of the spore- 

 forming stage. 



New Pathogenic Blastomyces.* — E. Klein, in addition to a new- 

 bacillus (Bacterium diphtheroides, which morphologically resembles the 

 B. diphtherise, grows only at 37° C, slowly liquefies inspissated blood- 

 serum, produces acid, and causes clotting of litmus-milk), describes a 

 new pathogenic blastomyces which he isolated from a sample of country 

 milk. This yeast is a strict aerobe, grows readily between 20° and 

 37° C. on all ordinary media, liquefies gelatin slowly, does not form 

 gas in sugar media, the growth on solid media being whitish at first, 

 but afterwards becoming yellow. The organism stains well with the 

 anilin dyes, and also by Gram's method. 



When inoculated into the peritoneal cavity of guinea-pigs, this yeast 

 provokes the formation of a tumour or tumours, followed by the death 

 of the infected animal. Subcutaneous and intravascular inoculation also 

 yield similar results, and from the tumours the yeast may be recovered 

 in pure culture The blastomyces is pathogenic to rabbits and mice. 



Protophyta. 

 Scliizophyceae. 



Cytology of Cyanophyceae.t — H. Wager describes the "central 

 body " of the cell as resembling the nuclei of higher organisms in that 

 it is composed of a chromatic network, but differing in the absence of a 

 nuclear membrane and nucleolus. Chromatin is present, but generally 

 only in small quantities. Presence of phosphorus was also shown. In 

 the process of division t^e cell begins to divide and new cell-walls are 

 formed independently of the division of the nucleus. Some of the 

 division stages in the nucleus resemble true stages of karyokinetic 

 division. The colouring-matter of the cell occurs in the form of granules 

 or fibrils in the peripheral layer, the structure of which recalls that of 

 the chromatophores of other organisms. 



Schizomycetes. 



Unusual Bacterial Grouping.^— Mary Hefferan describes the un- 

 usual bacterial grouping occurring in a cultivation of the B. rosaceus 

 metaloides, obtained from, the Krai Laboratory. The bacillus in ques- 

 tion is a slender rod 1*2 //. to 2 /x long, actively motile, and possessing 

 polar flagella. When grown in ordinary broth and examined micro- 

 scopically, either stained or in a hanging-drop preparation, the indi- 

 vidual elements show a peculiar grouping, being bound together in the 

 form of rosettes or asters of varying sizes. These rosettes were ob- 

 served in practically all fluid media, including cultivations in broth, 

 milk, nitrate solution, asparagin solution, &c. When cultivated upon 

 solid media, however, the growth on agar is the only one which shows 

 this peculiar rosette formation, none whatever being observed in cultures 

 upon gelatin or potato. 



* Local Gov. Board Reps.. 1900-1901 (1902) pp. 328-52. 



t Report Brit. Ass., 1901 (1902) p. 830. 



% Centralbl. Bakt., 2" Abt,, vi ; i. (1902) pp. H89-99. 



December 17th, 190 I 3 a* 



