450 BACTERIAL FLORA OF THE SYDNEY WATER SUPPLY, 



When grown at 22° C. the lower part of the growth may or may 

 not become slightly wrinkled or folded. On potato there is 

 formed a dry, flat, white, mealy, spreading layer which soon 

 becomes slightly speckled. The organism is an actively motile 

 rod with rounded ends and measures 0*8 : 2-3 p; it forms oval, 

 central spores. The colonies on gelatine and agar are flocose. 

 In gelatine stab culture the growth is very rapid; the medium is 

 liquefied in a funicular or tubular manner, but soon becomes 

 stratiform. The liquefied gelatine, which is at first strongly 

 turbid, becomes clearer, while a strong white film forms on the 

 surface; the sediment is white and flocculent. 



As its name implies, this organism in gelatine and agar culture 

 forms colonies that appear mycelioid. The mycelial processes 

 grow over the surface and penetrate into the medium. It is a 

 rod-shaped bacillus with rounded ends, and occurs singly and in 

 threads; the individuals measure 1 : 3 /x; oval spores are formed 

 in the middle of the rod. According to Fliigge it is non-motile, 

 and to Zimmermann it is motile. The individuals separated 

 from the Sydney water supply are motile. The track of the 

 needle in gelatine stab culture becomes filiform, then villous, and 

 finally arborescent. The gelatine is liquefied slowly, and becomes 

 stratiform with a strong white film. 



Bacillus ramosus liquefaciens, Fliigge. 



The colonies on the gelatine plate are mycelioid and white. 

 When magnified the deep colonies are seen to be fibrous and 

 nodular, the surface colonies to have an irregular dark centre 

 from which root-like fibres studded with minute nodules extend. 

 The gelatine is softened round the colony. The stab in gelatine 

 is filiform, but soon becomes arborescent; there is slowly formed 

 a dry, white, irregularly depressed and spreading nail-head from 

 which branches are sent downwards into the medium. There is no 

 liquefaction apparent after three weeks at 15° C. It is a thin 



