ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 223 



that stained, and a few bacilli that did not stain by Gram's method ; 

 aerobic cultures gave only Staphylococcus aureus having no pathogenic 

 action on rabbits, but from cultures in the depth of agar were isolated 

 B. perfringens, Enterococcus, B. ramosus and B.fragilis. In the second 

 case the pus was also slightly odorous and brown in colour, and cover- 

 slip preparations showed a few cocci and a number of bacillary forms, 

 none of which were stained by Gram's method. Ordinary broth and 

 agar cultures gave no growth, but anaerobic cultures showed a small 

 growth of Enterococcus and a large development of B. funduliformis, 

 which probably masked the development of other germs. The authors 

 consider that with more complete bacteriological examinations the number 

 of non-microbial cases of hepatic abscess would be diminished. # 



Coli Group of Bacteria.* — A. Buck concludes from the results of 

 his researches on this group of organisms that in the same bowel there 

 may occur at the same time many varieties of B. coli. About 25 p.c. of all 

 these bacteria were agglutinated by the serum of the same individual, or 

 by other sera, in dilutions of 1 in 30. Strains of B. coli that are cultur- 

 ally alike may be separated by their serum reactions. A readily agglu- 

 tinating strain will agglutinate at a higher dilution with a strange serum 

 than with that of its own host. The agglutination of B. coli is not 

 interfered with if the strange serum is from a typhoid patient. 



Multiplying of Relapsing Spirochetes in the Body of the Bug.f 

 N. N. Klodnitzky has observed the development of Spirockastes of 

 relapsing fever in the tissues of the bug. Using Giemsa's stain the 

 author examined the morphology of the contents of normal and of 

 infected insects. During the first 3 to 5 days after infection the pre- 

 parations showed individuals with well marked spirals, but in later 

 specimens there was an unusual development of threads felted together 

 or arranged in skeins, or like twisted hair. These threads were usually 

 stretched, and rarely wavy ; they were also observed in hanging drops. 

 Later specimens obtained about the 30th day after infection showed that 

 these threads had broken up into rods of various forms and lengths. 



Plant Tumour of Bacterial Origin.! — E. F. Smith and C. 0. 

 Townsend have isolated a motile bacillus from a tumour or gall found 

 on a cultivated daisy. The organism is aerobic, and grows on ordinary 

 nutrient agar and potato, and also in broth, which becomes slightly 

 clouded, and has a tenacious fibrous pellicle ; it produces no gas within 

 12 days on sugar or alcoholic media ; casein is separated from litmus 

 milk, with the production of an alkaline reaction ; it does not licpiefy 

 gelatin ; a temperature of 25° C. is most favourable to the growth on 

 agar or in broth ; the bacillus has 1-3 polar flagella. Inoculation of 

 roots, and young shoots and stems of healthy daisies, tobacco plants, 

 tomatoes, potato, sugar beet, and peach trees, caused the formation of 

 galls. 



Flagella and Capsule of B. Anthracis.§ — A. Hinterberger was 

 never able to observe that B. anthracis possessed true flagella, but, by 



* Ceutralbl. Bakt., lte Abt. Orig., xiv. (1907) p. 577. 



t Op. cit., xlv. (1907) p. 126. % Op. cit., 2te Abt., xx. (1907) p. 89. 



§ Op. cit., lte Abt. Orig., xlv. (1907) p. 108. 



