722 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



the soil, )>y Om^liansky; The influence of organic substances on the acti\nty of nitri- 

 fying microbes, Ijy S. Winogradsky and Y. Om^liansky; The influence of free 

 carbon dioxid on nitrification, by Godlewski; and Nitrification of organic nitrogen, 

 by V. Onu'liansky, with comments on some of the articles by the abstractor. 



Concerning tlie flagellae, reserve material, nucleus, and spore formation 

 of bacteria, A. Meyer {Flora, 86 {1900), pji. 428-468, pL 1; ahs. in Centbl. Bali. u. 

 Par., ,?. Abt., 6 {1900), No. 10, pp. 339-341). 



Do anaerobic organisms require oxygen? "SI. AV. Beijerinck {Arch. Neerland., 

 2. s>'):, 2 {1899), p. 397; abs. in Centbl. Bakt. n. Par., 2. Abt., 6 {1900), No. 10, p. 341).— 

 The author states that obligate anaerobes as well as facultative ones require a small 

 quantity of free oxygen for their maintenance. 



A contribution to the knowledge of thermophilous bacteria, G. Mich.velis 

 {Avcli. Hyg., 36 (1899), ]>. 285; ahs. in Centbl. Bakt. u. Par., 2. Abt., 6 {1900), No. 5, 

 p. lo4)- — Four species of thermophilous bacteria were isolated from spring water 

 whose optimum temperature for growth was between 50 and 60° C, with 57° the 

 average. No growtli takes place below 37° C. The organisms are spore forming, 

 2 to 4 /< in length. Their reaction toward various media, etc., are described. 



Oxalic acid formation by bacteria, W. Zopf {Ber. De'ut. Bot. Gesell., 18 (1900), 

 No. 1, pp. 32-34, fig. 1). — The author reports the formation of oxalic acid from grape 

 sugar in cultures of Bacillus aceti, B. acetigenum, B. acetosum, B. ascendens, B. kiitz- 

 ingianinn, P>. paKteurianvm and B. xylinum.. These bacteria were grown in a nutrient 

 media containing 10 per cent gelatin, 1 per cent jieptone, 1 per cent meat extract, 

 with from 2 to 3 per cent grape sugar. Similar experiments were conducted with 

 the same organisms in which the grape sugar was omitted from the nutrient solution 

 and no oxalic acid was formed. 



The physiology of Bacillus prodigiosus, G. Ritter {Centbl. Bakt. u. Par., 2. 

 Abt., 6 (1900), No. 7, pp. 206-209).- — A contribution to the knowledge of B. prodigiosus 

 in which the behavior of the organisms in a number of media is described. 



Bacterial studies in sugar manufacture, O. Laxa {Centbl. Bakt. v. Par., 2. 

 Abt., 6 {1900), No. 9, pp. 286-29.5). 



The fermentation of cellulose, A'. Omeliaxsky {Arch. Sci. Biol. {St. Petersburg'], 

 7 (1899), No. 5, pp. 411-434)- 



Are bacteria the cause of tobacco fermentation? O. Loew (Centbl. Bakt. n. 

 Par., 2. Abt., 6 (1900), No. 4, pp- 108-112). — A contnjversial article in which the 

 author maintains that tobacco fermentation is not bacterial. 



Enzyms, J. GRtiss {Fest.^ch. Schirendener, Berlin, 1899, pp. 184-201, pi. 1; abs. in 

 ■Tour. Roy. Micros. Soc [London}, 1900, No. 2, p. 223). — Notes are given on some of 

 tlie properties of the enzym of Penicillium glaucum. This enzym is said to possess 

 tlie power of energetically splitting up cane sugar, but has a less powerful action on 

 starch and reserve cellulose and has none of the properties of oxidase. Malt, on the 

 other hand, has the action of ;k -oxidase. It acts energetically on starch, less so on 

 cane sugar, and very sliglitly on reserve cellulose. 



A proteolytic enzym in germinating seeds, V. IIaki.ay (Compt. Rend. Acad. 

 Sci. Paris, 131 (1900), No. 16, j^P- 623-626). — The presence of a proteolytic ferment 

 in fungi has been previously noted by Bourcjuelot and Herissey (E. S. R., 10, p. 

 929). In the present paper the author gives a report of experiments made w'ith 

 germinating lentils, in which he found a proteolytic ferment analogous to tryj)sin. 

 It is l)elieved that such a ferment will be found in all germinating seeds. The fer- 

 ment found in the lentil seeds .seems to be identical with that reported above in the 

 fungi. 



An enzym causing cleavage of protein in germinating barley, W. Wix- 

 niscH and B. SciiEtJ.iroKX ( W'chn.^chr. Bran., 17 {1900), No. 24, pp. 334-336). 



A proteolytic diastase of malt, A. Fernbach and.L. Huijekt {Compt. Rend. 

 Acad. Sci. Paris, 130 {1900), No. 26, pp. 1783-1785).— An account is given of the 



