ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 415 



Variations of Bacillus acidi lactici.* — From the urine of a patient 

 Y. A. Arkwriiiht has isolated repeatedly durin<>- eleven months a bacillus 

 belonging- to the B. acidi lactici group. Two varieties were found, 

 which differed only as regards gas-formation in media containing carbo- 

 hydrates and alcohols. Variety (i) formed acid and gas with the usual 

 sugar-media : variety (ii) gave acid only. Agglutination and absorption 

 tests with serum of immunized rabbits gave identical results with the 

 two varieties. Inconstant intermediate variations were observed, but the 

 two types remained constant after four months' subculture on broth and 

 agar. The non-gas-producing variety was induced to form gas in sugar- 

 media by preliminary culture in sodium-formate broth. 



Coccobacillary septicaemia of Cockchafer and Silkworm.t — E. 

 Chatton finds that a coccobacillus, B. ?neIolo/ithde, when injected into the 

 cockchafer, kills it in from 12 to ?>6 hours. Per os it is inactive. It is 

 distinguished from B. acridiorum by its greater length and by causing a 

 fluorescence in agar after 5 or 6 days. The author mentions also a 

 coccobacillus, B. homhycis, morphologically resembling B. meJolonthse, 

 but which does not produce fluorescence in agar. It is fatal to silk- 

 worms, and differs in many respects from other organisms known to be 

 harmful to the silkworm. 



Trichomyces axillae. J — R. Le Blaye and A. Fage have found in 

 axillary hairs a mycelium the filaments of which are from ' 7-0 • 8 /x in 

 diameter. Apparently there are no spores. Cultivations failed. The 

 examinations were rendered easy by means of caustic soda. The con- 

 dition, known as lepothrix, had previously been ascribed to a bacillus by 

 some and to a micrococcus by others. The authors in their short com- 

 munication tentatively suggest the name of Trichomyces axillse. 



* Journ, Hygiene, xiii. (1912) pp. 68-86. 



t Comptes Kendus, clvi. (1912) pp. 1707-9. 



X C.R. Soc. Biol. Paris, Ixxiv. (1913) pp. 1173-4. 



