18 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



too muddy for observation, a peculiar flocculent turbidity was noticed 

 in the sea extending from the surface as far down as could be seen. 

 Dr. Fraser told me that, although this appearance was not uncommon 

 in the neighbourhood in late summer and early autumn, he had never 

 been able to collect any of the suspended material or to arrive at any 

 explanation of its formation. It was found impossible to collect 

 anything in the finest net at our disposal by dragging and samples of 

 water when brought up to the deck of the boat seemed to be clear and 

 normal. The material evidently deflocculated during collection and 

 did not reflocculate on standing. 



Direct Examination of Samples 



The bottles containing the samples were put upon ice immediately 

 on reaching the laboratory and kept there until most of the inocula- 

 tions of media were completed. A preliminary direct microscopic 

 examination of the water was made to see if any explanation of the 

 flocculent material referred to in the last paragraph could be found. 

 Hanging drops or films made direct from the samples and stained with 

 Carbol Fuchsin or Lofiflers Methylene Blue showed nothing definite. 

 Some whole and several fragmentary desmids and diatoms, and a few 

 other organisms, too small or poorly stained to be identifiable, were 

 found in the surface sample; practically nothing in the other two. 

 By centrifugalising the water deposits of the same material were 

 obtained, but there did not seem to be nearly enough solid material 

 collected in this way to account for the flocculation seen in the sea. 

 Addition of a drop of normal solution of caustic soda to lOcc. of water 

 in the centrifuge tube before spinning led to more satisfactory results. 

 A gelatinous precipitate, consisting chiefly of magnesium hydrate, 

 was thus formed in the water which collected all the suspended 

 material and brought about its concentration. Films were made and 

 fixed in the ordinary manner from the centrifuge deposits thus obtained, 

 and, after treatment with a 2 per cent solution of acetic acid to remove 

 the mineral matter, were stained with Aniline Gentian Violet. Large 

 numbers of bacteria were thus found to be present in the water. 



Surface Sample. The predominating forms seen in this sample 

 were : — 



(i) A round-ended bacillus about -Zji. long by -5^. wide 



occurring singly and in pairs. Dividing individuals frequent. 

 (ii) A round-ended bacillus about 1-5/i. long by -4/^. wide 



also occurring singly and in pairs and in active division. 



(iii) A round-ended bacillus about 2^. long by 1-5^. wide 



occurring singly. Stains more intensely than (i) and (ii). 



