y48 SOIL I'UOTOZOA IX SOUTH AFUICA. 



No motile Protozoon was observed, until 72 hours after the 

 culture was made, when Bodo (Proicazekia) parva first appeared. 

 On the fifth day of culture a very few bacteria were observed, 

 but the}' disappeared the same day and have not been seen 

 since. 



It may be remarked that the culture under discussion was 

 maintained longer than those of Potchefstrooin soils recorded in 

 our paper of hist year, in which the depth of each of the mixed 

 samples should have been stated to be to' twelve inches and not 

 to six inches. 



OnderstepOCrt. — A sample of soil was (jbtained (in Alai'cli 

 22, 1922, from a natural plantation of Syringas near the post 

 mortem hall at the Veterinary Piesearch Laboratory, in fine 

 sunshiny weather. There had been no rain for some time. The 

 sample was taken at a depth of four inches from the surface, 

 with slight admixture of the layers from above. The soil was 

 a deep chocolate, clayey loam with some humus. It was feebly 

 acid in its reaction to litmus. 



No Protozoa were detected on direct examination, but the 

 following Protozoa were obtained in water culture: — 



Ehizopoda. — Amoeba proteus, A. Umax. A. riuttuhi. A. 

 radiosa, Difflufiia glohuJosa, EvghjpJia sp., ArccUa 

 vulgaris. 

 Heliozoa. — Actinophyrs sol. 



Mastigophora. — Peranetna trichopliorum . Bodo (P.) parva, 

 Oikomonas termo, Cercomoiias craffsiraada , Plcuro)}wuas 

 ■jaculans. 

 Infusoria. — Holophrya ovuvi, Colpoda ciicullini. Cydidiinn 



glaucoma, Stylonychia mytilus, Vorticella cauipamda. 

 In this culture a few Nematode larv.T' were observed. 

 Vibrios and other bacteria were found at certain times, and 

 Bodo (P.) parva have been seen ingesting vibrios. Cysts of a 

 species of Euglena were found in the early days of culture, but 

 subsequent development was not observed. The cultures were 

 kept at room temperature and a very cold ]K'viod set in, which 

 adversely affected them. 



Orange Free State Soils. 



Samples of soil were obtained from Winburg, Bloemfontein 

 and Glen in the Orange Free State. The s[H'eimens included 

 virgin, cultivated and vmcultivated soils. 



Winburg. — Two specimens oi soil were obtaincil. The 

 samples were taken on April 6. 1922, each being a sample of 

 soil from a depth of six inches from the surface, without admix- 

 ture with other layers. One specimen was from imcultivated, 

 ])ractically virgin land; the other was good mealie land. Both 

 soils reacted feebl.y acid to litmus. 



(i) Uncultivated soil. This was a dark chocolate loam, 

 consisting of fairly finely divided particles. A surface film of 

 soil, wetted with" boiled tap water, sliowed cysts of Diffivgia 



