ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, .MICROSCOPY, ETC. 363 



Velocity of Progression and the Movement Curves of certain 

 Bacteria.* — E. Stigell has studied the various forms and measured the 

 velocities of movement of different bacteria. By using a magnification 

 of 1500 and an ocular micrometer, ten estimations of the distances 

 travelled in definite intervals of time were made, and an average of these 

 velocities was taken for each organism examined. It was shown that 

 whereas B. subtil is travelled 3'41/x.per second, the average velocity of 

 B. typhosus was only 1*15ju, per second, and of Vibrio aquatilis only 

 •?!»//. per second. 



By means of an Abbe drawing apparatus the forms of movement 

 were traced on paper ; those of B. subtilis and B. megatherium were 

 almost straight lines, but B. pyocyaneus moved in irregular excentric 

 curves. The author supplies a number of interesting reproductions of 

 these tracings. 



Bacterial Disease of Green Malt.j — H. Schnegg remarks that in 

 wet years green malt is liable to a disease which causes the death of the 

 rootlet and, at the same time, increases the number of sinkers. The 

 bacteria which cause this disease are located in the embryo of the barley- 

 corn, and spread thence to the growing rootlet. The organisms first 

 attack the epidermis cells of the rootlet, and subsequently the interior 

 cells lying between the epidermis and the endodermis ; they appear, 

 however, to be incapable of attacking the endodermis, and the vascular 

 bundles are thus protected from their action. The author has isolated 

 the bacterium by placing small portions of barley embryos (suspected 

 to be affected with the disease) and small pieces of diseased rootlets in 

 sterile wort and preparing gelatin-plate cultures from the wort cultures. 

 The appearance of the organism indicates that it belongs to the group 

 known as Termo bacteria, and it appears to be very similar to, if not 

 identical with, Bacterium coli. In sugar-containing nutrient liquids it 

 causes fermentation and a considerable degree of acidity. By addition 

 of disinfectants to the steep-water the bacteria may be destroyed, but 

 such treatment injures the germinating power of the barley. The danger 

 of bacterial attack may be lessened, however, by adding to the steep- 

 water agents which cause an increase of the germinating power of the 

 grain. The bacterium (either as a result of enzyme-secretion or of a 

 stimulation to enzyme-secretion in the corn) accelerates the modification 

 of the corns, and hence it may be that its action is beneficial rather than 

 injurious. Kilned malt, prepared from green malt affected with the 

 disease, is of good quality in every respect. 



New Bacillus of Dysentery. J — F. B. Bowman describes a new 

 bacillus which was isolated from the dejecta of cases of infantile dysentery 

 prevailing in Manila in July and August of 1007. The organism, 

 named Bacillus "6'," was characterised by small, deep-blue colonies, 

 which were first detected after 48 hours' incubation on agar. B. "S" 



* Centralbl. Bakt., lte Abt. Orig., xlv. (1907) p. 289. 



t Zeitschr. Gesell. Brauw.. xxx. (1907) pp. 537 et seq. See also Journ. Inst. 

 Brewing, xiv. (1908) pp. 191-5. 



X Pbilippine Journ. Sci., iii. .'1908) pp. 31-8. 



