136 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



Material Examined 

 Some two hundred herrings were secured, usually first hand from 

 weirs, from fishing smacks, and from the canneries. The weirs in- 

 cluded in the enquiry extended from Oak Bay in the St. Croix river, 

 to the harbour of St. John, N.B. Inoculations were made from the 

 intestines and from the gills of these herrings. Samples were also 

 taken of (a) water from the inside of various weirs; (b) mud from 

 weirs at low tide; (c) water at low tide as used for pickle in the can- 

 neries; (d) sea water as run into cannery just before entering pickle 

 tank; and (e) sea water dipped out of pickle tank one half hour after 

 the herrings had been put in. 



Cultural Studies 



The presence of gas-producing bacteria has been demonstrated 

 in some or all of the material from each of the sources enumerated 

 above. Ten strains of these bacteria have been studied in detail, and 

 hjerein we present the results up-to-date. 



Based on their reactions in laboratory media the ten strains 

 divide themselves into three main groups : 



1. Those which liquefy gelatine, but fail to ferment lactose to gas. 



2. Those which do not liquefy gelatine, but which ferment lac- 

 tose to acid and gas. 



3. Those which do not liquefy gelatine, do not ferment lactose 

 to acid and gas, but which produce acid and gas in glucose. 



Group I 



Cultures 1, 5 and 22 are members of this group. They have been 

 isolated from the intestines of herrings, water in a weir, and the pickle 

 tank in factory respectively. Microscopically they are short rods, 

 gram negative, and motile. 



Each culture liquefies gelatine and fails to ferment lactose to 

 gas. In certain other reactions some differences are exhibited. 



Culture 1. — No action on litmus milk in seven days; faintly acid 

 to Methyl Red; negative to the Voges-Proskauer reaction. Glucose, 

 saccharose, maltose and xylose are fermented to acid and gas. Lac- 

 tose, mannite, dulcite, salicin and aesculin are not fermented. 



Culture 5. — Litmus milk is coagulated, bleached and digested; 

 digestion almost complete within six days ; indol is produced ; alkaline 

 to Methyl Red; faintly positive to the Voges-Proskauer reaction. 

 Glucose, saccharose, maltose, mannite, xylose and salicin are fer- 

 mented to acid and gas. Lactose, dulcite and aesculin are not fer- 

 mented. 



