and Laboratory Methods. 1391 



of Simocephahts swimming freely in the water. They always keep the back 

 towards the source of light even though this necessitates an entire reversal of the 

 usual position with reference to the force of gravity. Furthermore, to a sudden 

 shading the animals react by a strong spring towards one side or the other. 

 This results in getting all the individuals out of a shaded area in a short time. 



The author considers the eyes of the Cladocera as physiologically comparable 

 with the statocyst of the decapod Crustacea. The eye orients itself along the 

 " lines of force " of the light rays, and thus effects differences of muscle tonus. 

 On the other hand, the statolith moves along lines of the force of gravity to the 

 lowest point of the statocyst and, through the sense hairs, causes differences in 

 the tonus of the body muscles. The general biological significance of the photo- 

 tactic reaction is discussed, and the orientation of swarms of Ciilicidce to 

 surrounding objects is explained as such a reaction. R. p. 



CURRENT BACTERIOLOGICAL LITERATURE. 



H. W. Conn. 



Separates of papers and books on bacteriology should be sent for review to 

 H. W. Conn, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Conn. 



Karlinski has made a study of the nasal 



Karlinski. Zur Kenntnis der saurefesten Bak- uj^o ^t ^,,u^ -, l^r-rr^ mimKor- ^f ;nrI5 



. „ ^ , „ , „ in. ,^, .„^. cavities or quite a large number ot inai- 



tenen. Cent. f. Bak. u. Par. i, 29: 521, 1901. ^ ° 



M .... ^ -A ■ . viduals, originally for the purpose of 



Murray. A preliminary report on acid resist- > & J r 1 



ing bacilli, with special reference to their determining whether the lepra bacillus 



occurrences in the lower animals. Jour, of j^ ^ j ^^ -^ ^^ese cavities in 



Exp. Med., p. 205, 1900. 



people not suffering from leprosy. In 



the course of this study he has discovered, in the nose in 19 cases out of 235, a 

 very characteristic bacillus, which holds its stains against the action of acids in 

 the sarne manner as the tuberculosis bacillus. This bacillus is larger than the 

 tubercle bacillus or the lepra bacillus, and, indeed, when compared with the vari- 

 ous other "sauerfest" bacilli, proved to be quite different from any of them. It 

 appears to be the nearest to the organism discovered by Rabinovitsch, although, 

 in some respects, it is different from that variety. The author thinks it is a new 

 type of bacillus holding stains against the action of acids. The organism does 

 not appear to be pathogenic for animals or for man when simply placed in the 

 nasal cavities, although it is commonly found in individuals showing certain 

 ulcers in the nose. 



The second author studies the bacilli from the genital organs of dogs, horses, 

 cows, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, and white rats. He finds in all cases, except in 

 those of cats and rabbits, acid resisting bacilli, resembling the smegma bacillus. 

 They are not all alike, and the author thinks they form a group of closely allied 

 but variable bacteria. h. w. c. 



Reichenbach. Ueber Verzweigung bei Spir- During recent years many questions 

 illen. Cent. f. Bak. u. Par. i, 29: 553 have been raised in regard to the rela- 

 ''^°'' tions of bacteria to other fungi, and 



there are many who have a strong suspicion, amounting to a belief, that they are 



