BY K. GREIG SMITH. 231 



I obtained the specimen from Mr. J. H. Maiden, Government 

 Botanist. It had been taken from the bark of a Eitcalyptus 

 Stuarfiana, F.v.M., by Mr. A. M. N. Rose at Dalgety, Southern 

 Monaro. Mr. Maiden obtained for me two more samples from 

 the same tree. The second specimen consisted of the exudate in 

 situ adhering to the bark, and containing fragments of a ruby- 

 coloured kino. The third specimen consisted of a mixture of the 

 same exudate with Eucalyptus manna of various colours ranging 

 from white to reddish-brown. In portions of the white manna I 

 found small quantities of the same gum that was obtained from 

 the first exudate, and after separating the gum spherical masses 

 of prismatic crystals of raffinose were readily obtained. 



In all three specimens the same bacterium was obtained in 

 practically pure culture. 



A quantity of the gum was prepared by growing the bacterium 

 in saccharose-peptone fluid, and after a sufficient amount had 

 been formed, as indicated b}^ the medium being very opalescent, 

 the gum was precipitated with alcohol, and purified by repeated 

 solution in water and precipitation with alcohol. When free 

 from reducing sugars the gum was tested with the following- 

 results. Fehling's solution was not reduced, and the gum readily 

 hydrolysed with dilute acids producing a reducing sugar which 

 yielded glucosazone. Basic lead acetate gave a strong opalescence, 

 and the solution passed through filter paper unaltered. Ammonia- 

 cal lead acetate, barium hydrate, strontium hydrate and lime 

 water in excess, each gave a white precipitate. Lead acetate, 

 tannic acid, ferric chloride, copper sulphate, aluminium hydrate, 

 iodine, sodium hj^drate and ammoniacal silver nitrate gave no 

 reaction. The melting point of the dry and powdered gum was 

 199° C. Mr. T. U. Walton, B.Sc, of the Colonial Sugar Refining 

 Co., found the sugar to be laevorotatory, and to hydrolyse com- 

 pletely to levulose. 



From these results it is evident that the gum is levan, which I 

 first obtained on cultivating Bac. /evaniformans in saccharose 

 media. 



