BY R. GREIG SMITH. 757 



transparent white with an irregular or amoeboid margin; they 

 may also be rounded, thicker and translucent white. Micro- 

 scopically they are finely granular. The deep colonies are un- 

 characteristic. The stroke on agar is thin, moist glistening, white 

 and iridescent; the growth rapidly spreads over the agar surface 

 and gas bubbles form in the medium. Litmus-lactose-agar be- 

 comes red excepting at the surface, which remains a persistent 

 blue ; the red colour becomes bleached and gas bubbles are formed 

 in the medium. Bouillon becomes turbid and forms a white 

 sediment; a slight indol reaction was obtained. Nitrates are 

 reduced to nitrites. Milk is coagulated with a faint acid reaction. 

 On potato a brownish raised layer is formed and the medium 

 slowly becomes of the same colour as the growth. 



As the gelatine in stab culture was found to be fluid after a 

 month's growth, the organism may be Bad. Kralii, Dyar. The 

 gelatine-liquefying property of the organism is indicated also by 

 the bleaching action upon litmus. 



Bacterium cloacae, Jordan. 



The bacterium is an actively motile rod with rounded ends; it 

 varies in length and breadth, measuring 0-6-07 : 0-8-1-4^; longer 

 forms also occur. It is not stained by Gram's method. On 

 gelatine the colonies are punctiform and microscopically coli-\ike r 

 but they soon become shallow liquefied depressions. The stab in 

 gelatine is napiform and becomes saccate; the upper layers of the 

 liquefied medium are turbid, the lower layers clear with floating 

 floccules. No film is formed. Gas is produced in glucose-gelatine. 

 The colonies on agar are indefinite, white and watery, and 

 surrounded by a cluster of small transparent islet colonies. 

 Microscopically the structure appears homogeneous. The deep 

 colonies are uncharacteristic. The stroke on agar is narrow, raised 

 and translucent white; the agar surface is covered with a watery 

 growth like a film of condensed water. The litmus in litmus- 

 lactose-agar culture is bleached in the deep parts of the medium 

 and deep blue at the surface. Bouillon becomes turbid and 

 forms a slight precipitate and tilm ; a slight indol reaction was 



