142 AN ASCOBACTERIUM FROM THE SUGAR-CANE, 



in the ash has no signiticance because the culture media contained 

 0*2% of sodium phosphate. On the whole the albuminoid re- 

 actions are rather undecided; the two which were undoubtedly 

 obtained were the xanthoproteic and the phosphotungstic; but 

 these tests alone do not give an}^ definite information regarding 

 the nature of the slime. 



If the slime were originally pectose, the method of separating 

 it from bacteria by heating under pressure would have converted 

 it to pectin, which gives a precipitate on the addition of barium 

 hydrate; and as the purified slime does not precipitate with 

 barium hydrate, it is evident that it cannot be pectose. Nor 

 can it be any of the pectin bodies. That the slime contains 

 a pentosan is shown by the production of furfural on dis- 

 tillation with hydrochloric acid, sp.g. 1*16, and also on careful 

 heating with strong sulphuric acid. On hydrolysis, with 

 dilute sulphuric acid at three atmospheres pressure, a reducing 

 substance is formed. This, upon prolonged heating on the water 

 bath with phenylh3^drazine, gives an osazone consisting of balls of 

 short needle-shaped crystals, which, when recrystallised, have a 

 melting point of 153° C. The product of acid hydrolysis is pro- 

 bably a pentose, and appears to be similar to that obtained b}^ 

 Bendix* on hydrolysing tubercle and other bacteria. The pentose 

 from tubercle bacteria reduced Fehling's solution, and formed an 

 osazone which melted at 153°- 155°. 



The formation of a pentose shows that the bacterial slime is 

 related to the vegetable gums. 



Bacterium sacchari, n.sp. 



Shape, etc.—Ps. short rod, co^i-like, with rounded ends measures 

 0*6:l-2/M, and occurs singly in pairs and threads. On solid media 

 •containing sugar, and sometimes on the surface of fiuid sugary 

 media, it forms asci. The rods are motile, and the flagella when 

 stained by the night-blue method were seen to vary from one 

 (terminal) to nine (peritricial). With the blues the cells stain 



* Bendix, Jour. Chem. Soc. 1901, Abs. ii. 'J06. 



