ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, .MICROSCOPY. ETC. 107 



magenta red and differentiating with picro-indigo-carmine, followed by 

 alcohol and oil of cloves. 



Culture of Anaerobes.* — A. le Dantec describes a method for culti- 

 vating anaerobes. It depends on the slow diffusion of gases through 

 liquids in capillary tubes. Tbe upper end of a pipette is drawn out into 

 a capillary neck ; broth, previously 1 toiled, cooled and inoculated with 

 an anaerobic organism, is drawn in as far as the upper cylinder above 

 the constricted neck, and the lower end of the pipette is then closed in 

 a flame. Satisfactory anaerobic growth occurs in the medium contained 

 in the body of the pipette. 



Collecting and Preserving Fresh-water Rhizopods.t — E. Penard, 

 in describing his methods, states that the collecting of these creatures is 

 as simple as possible. In ponds, streams, and marshes he closes the 

 mouth of a small test-tube with the thumb and plunges the whole arm 

 in the water, so as to bring the test-tube level with the organic felt which 

 usually covers the bottom, then on raising the thumb the water rushes in, 

 carrying with it the surface mud, which is alwavs richest in organisms 

 of all kinds. For collecting in deep lakes, a very simple dredging 

 apparatus is used, which brings up strips of brown organic felt which 

 covers the bottom mud, and which alone contains the Rhizopods. 

 Details as to finding and isolating the creatures so collected will be 

 found in the paper, as well as the various methods of preparing them as 

 microscopic objects. It need here only be mentioned that the author 

 fixes the Rhizopods with absolute alcohol, stains them with borax- 

 carmin, and mounts them in balsam, the whole process being performed 

 on the mounting slip. 



Intestinal Broth for the Isolation of Essential and Potential 

 Intestinal Anaerobes. J — M. Cohendy prepares this medium as follows : 

 1. The stomach, tongue, liver, intestine, and pancreas of the dog, sheep, 

 pig, or fowl are washed and defatted. 2. Then the stomach and tongue, 

 pounded up together, are mixed with 7 c.cm. HC1, and 500 cent, 

 water, and incubated at 40° C. for 18 to 20 hours. 3. To 500 grm. of 

 intestine, liver, and pancreas, pounded up together, are added 1100 c.cm. 

 of water and macerated for 18 to 20 hours at 24° 0. 4. The two fluids 

 are mixed together, and, after boiling for 2 minutes, strained through a 

 fine sieve. 5. After alkalinising, the fluid is cooled down to 50° C. and 

 the white of one egg to every 250 c.cm. is added. 6. Boil for 2 minutes, 

 filter, cool to 50° C. ; add the white of an egg to every 500 c.cm., sterilise 

 at 120° C. for 20 minutes. 7. Add ■ 9 grm. anhydrous glucose to every 

 100 c.cm., filter through Chardin paper. 8. Distribute into sterilised 

 tubes or flasks ; sterilise for 20 minutes at 115° C. 



To make solid media with agar, add between (6) and (7), i.e. before 

 the glucose, and with the white of egg 8' 5 grm. agar, but sterilise for 

 45 minutes at 120° C. Then proceed as before. 



The foregoing embraces the general principles, but for certain details 



* C.R. Soc. Biol. Paris, lxiii. (1907) p. 135. 



t Journ. Quekett Micr. Club, x. (1907) pp. 107-16. 



t C.R. Soc. Biol. Paris, lxiii. (1907) pp. 649-51. 



