[HARRISON & KENNEDY] DISCOLOURATION OF CODFISH 133 



6. Viability. 



It was noticed that in old plates in which the media was quite 

 dry and the salt crystallized, a few of the colonies were quite moist 

 and of a clear cherry red colour, consequently these plates and a 

 number of salt fish agar tubes were allowed to dry completely, and 

 later, attempts to recover the organism from these sources were made 

 by transferring the dry scaly material to various culture media with 

 the following results: 



From salt fish agar tubes dried, at 234 days, red growth in 8 days, 

 room temperature, in a well 254 days, red growth in 8 days, 

 lighted room. 258 days, red growth in 8 days. 



229 days, red growth in 9 days. 



264 days, red growth in 13 days. 



265 days, no growth in 43 days. 

 273 days, no growth in 13 days. 

 275 days, red growth in two out 



of three tubes in 13 days. 

 289 days, red growth in 14 days. 



307 days, no growth in 13 days. 



308 days, no growth in 13 days. 

 324 days, no growth in 13 days. 

 332 days, no growth in 13 days. 



These experiments show that the red organisms has considerable 

 ability to resist dessication, and remain alive for about nine months. 

 No growth developed on transfers made from plate approximately 

 ten to eleven months old. 



This experiment does not confirm the opinion of salt dealers in 

 Turks Islands, that the salt becomes sterile after three to six months' 

 storage, although it must be admitted that the conditions are not by 

 any means similar. 



Inoculations on Other Fish than Cod. — Pieces of cured haddock 

 {Melanogrammus aeglifinus), cusk (Brosmius hrosme), pollock {Pol- 

 lachius virens), and hake {Urophycis chuss) were inoculated from a 

 culture of the red organism, growing on codfish agar. After incuba- 

 tion at 37° C. for sixteen days there was distinct growth on all these 

 fish, especially on the pollock. , 



Fresh halibut (Hippo glosstis hippoglossiis) was thoroughly salted 

 and then inoculated from a culture of the red organism. After 

 sixteen days' incubation at 37° C. there was pronounced red colour 

 extending over the entire surface of the fish. 



