16 THE BACTEKIA OF THE APIARY. 



Mannite. — Reaction slightly acid, later alkaline. 



Agar slant. — A moderate, slightly yellow, uonviscid glistening growth api>ears 

 along the inoculated surface. This growth gradually spreads and deepens in 

 color to an egg-yellow. 



Potato. — A moderate, egg-yellow, nonviscid, glistening growth spreads over 

 the entire surface. The potato is slightly discolored. 



Milk. — The milk is covered by a yellow growth of the culture, resembling 

 cream. Coagulation takes place on boiling. 



Litmus milk. — Reaction alkaline. 



Gelatin. — Growth takes place along the line of inoculation. Deep in the 

 medium the colonies are white and spherical ; the surface growth is yellow. 

 After a few days liquefaction begins, and at the end of 2 weeks one-half tlie 

 tube is liquefied. The liquefaction is infundibuliform. Liquefied gelatin is sur- 

 mounted by a friable, egg-yellow pellicle. The growth in the liquefied portion 

 is flocculent, which, on settling, forms a yellow sediment at the apex. 



Indol. — None could be observed. 



Nitrates. — No reduction to nitrites occurs. 



BACTERIA IN HONEY AND NORMAL LARV^. 



Comb honey from a large number of sources has been examined 

 and found to be quite uniformly sterile. The healthy larvre likewise 

 are usually sterile. 



BACTERIA UPON THE ADULT BEES. 



On the external part of the bee we again find only a few different 

 species. Bacillus .4, described as found upon the combs, is fre- 

 quently isolated from the bee. Other species which are found fre- 

 quently are described below. 



Bacterium cyaneus (Micrococcus cyaneus). 



Occurrence. — Isolated from the body of a healthy honey bee and from pollen. 



Gelatin colonies.— The colonies are lemon-yellow, with entire border, growth 

 taking place readily on this medium. The superficial colonies, having well- 

 defined border, ai'e finely granular, and liquefy the medium within 3 to 6 days. 



Morphology. — Short oval rods 0.8^ to 1.7^. in length, 0.7/a to O.Sfj. in thickness. 

 Short involution forms are present. The rods occur singly, paired, and in 

 clumps. No flagella have been demonstrated. 



Motility. — No motion has been demonstrated. 



tSporcs. — No spores have been deiuonstrated. 



Gram's stain. — The bacterium takes Gram's stain. 



Oxygen requirements. — Aerobic. 



Bouillon. — At first a slight cloudiness appears, the medium becoming turbid 

 in old cultures. A heavy yellowish-white, slightly viscid ring forms on the 

 tube at the surface of the medium. The sediment, and sometimes the medium, 

 show marked viscidity. Reaction alkaline. 



Glucose. — The growth of the culture is confined entirely to the open bulb, in 

 which the medium becomes turbid. No gas is formed. Reaction alkaline. 



Lactose. — Reaction alkaline. 



Saccharose. — Reaction alkaline. 



Levulose. — Reaction alkaline. 



