356 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



grows slowly on nutrient agar, forming minute sharply contoured 

 whitish circular colonies ; it is a strict aerobe ; it grows more quickly on 

 turnip-agar, less well on gelatin ; it also grows in broth, alkaline hay 

 infusion, and in glucose solution, in which last the flagella are thrown 

 off. The author discusses the systematic position of this organism, and 

 concludes that it should be placed between the Planococcacei\3 and the 

 Planosarcinte. 



(b) FJanisarcina Schaudinni was found in refuse-heaps, on decayed 

 potato much eaten by worm and larvee, and was associated with many 

 putrefactive bacteria. Individual cocci are surrounded by a membrane 

 or capsule about • 2/x thick ; each coccus has one long flagellum 

 (14-16 ft), which seems to be continuous with the protoplasmic network 

 of the cell. Motility is very active, especially in weak alkaline fluid 

 media at 21°-iS(f C, and resembles the movements of some of the Ciliata. 

 The organism is a potential aerobe ; in the track of a gelatin stab 

 culture small brown granular colonies appear, the medium being un- 

 clouded and not liquefied ; on the surface of gelatin and agar plates after 

 two days it forms small spherical coarsely granular colonies. 



Bacteria of Spirit-vinegar and Wine-vinegar.* — W. Henneberg 

 describes the cultural and biological characters of three new species of 

 bacteria occurring in the fabrication of spirit-vinegar, {B. schuzeiihachi, 

 B. curvum, B. Orleanense) and two new species that occur in the fabri- 

 cation of wine-vinegar {B. xi/Iinoides, B. xylinum, B. viiium acetati.) 



B. schuzenbachi forms on wort -gelatin clear round shining colonies 

 with yellowish-brown centres ; on beer-gelatin with or without the 

 addition of 10 p.c. cane-sugar, the colonies are white with granular 

 surfaces ; pellicle formation on fluid media is variable, and in old 

 cultures this takes a red-brown colour. The cells are oval, and often 

 sickle-shaped or irregularly curved with rounded or pointed ends, two 

 or more being arranged in chains, the members of the same chain 

 having often very different forms. It does not grow at 87° C, but 

 thrives well at 25°-;-}0° C. 



B. curvum forms on wort-gelatin round transparent colonies with 

 raised margins and centres, often also white and dry colonies. The 

 cells are oval or elongated with round or pointed ends, and often 

 markedly bowed ; long and short chains and threads of cells are 

 observed ; in old agar cultures the cells are often small and round ; 

 when grown on wort with the addition of 8 p.c. alcohol the cells have 

 an invisible slimy surface that causes them to adhere together ; the 

 optimum temperature is 25°-30°C. 



B. orleanense on wort-gelatin forms irregular whitish colonies ; the 

 cells are coccal-hke or rod-shaped, with many intermediate forms ; the 

 rods are straight or curved, single or arranged in chains ; the optimum 

 temperature is 25°-;-50° C. 



B. xylinoides forms on wort-gelatin colonies like drops of water, 

 often with a light brown nucleus in the centre ? the pellicle formed 

 on fluid media is very varying in consistence, being either thin and 

 rather dry or thick and slimy, with all intervening grades ; the cells 



* Centralbl. Bakt., 2te Abt., xvii. (1907) p. 789. 



