( 703 ) 



4. Cellulose may also Ito atlackccl, w lion there is a full supply of 

 air l»y widely (lisli-il>ule<l, aërolMc, iioii-sitorclorniiiiu' hacloria, anionji: 

 Aviiieli a lu'owu |)iiiiM('iil hacleriuui (/>'. /'crfiii/ii/c/is) is pre<loniiiia)it. 

 The (lesliMiclioii is jtarlicularly sjrouü- in syiHl)i<»sis with a yclloxN' 

 inicroc'oc'ciis. which ilsclf is inert. 



.5. lv\li-a(tr»lijiarily rich sjtiiMJIac ciilliircs are fiwuiod in nuti-ieiit 

 li(pii(ls iji whicii cellulose is hcinu allackccj i»y aëroiiic liacloria after 

 infection with ditcli-niud or .uarden soil. l*rol>ai>ly the disti-ihiition of 

 the spirillae in nature is mainly |L!,o\erm'<l l>y cellulose. 



H. The property of inonlds to attack cellulose is a \ery common 

 one. The dissolution is due to a specilic enzyme to w hich the name 

 of "cellnlase" may he «•iveu. 



7. One of the causes of the orig'in of humus colorinu' matters is 

 the formation of pigments from cellidose by bacteria and moulds. 



This investigation has been made in the bacteriological laboratory 

 of the Polytechnic School under the guidance of Prof, Hki.jeuinck. 



7>///, March 1903. 



EXPLANATION OF THE FIGURES. 



Fig. 1. Fibre of lillerpaper willi denilrifyiiiy bacteria, disinlcgraled into librillao, 

 eiiclosed in mucus. Eulargemeiit ooO. 



Fig. :2. Debris oi' lillerpaper al llie end ol' the deiiilrilicaliou [trocess, most of 

 the libres ai'c dissolved, x the last debris of cellulose libres, (3, y ami I iionallacked 

 elements of "woodcellulose". Enl. 100. 



Fig. 3. Fi.bre of fillerpaper with aerobic bacteria disintegrated into librillae, 

 enclosed in mucus. Enl. 550. 



Fig. 4. i'acterium from llie preceding liguie more strongly enlarged: arrows 

 represent motion. Enk 1500. 



Fig. 5. Fibre of lillerpaper attacked by an aerobic bacterium with saprophytic 

 micrococcus, commencing to disintegrate into librillae. Enl. 5.50. 



Fig. (j. Two librillae of ilie preceding fibre more strongly enlarged, with :i aerobic 

 destructive bacteria and jB saprophytic micrococcus. Enl. 1.500. 



Fig. 7. End of the destruction in tig. 5 the librillae having become invisible; 

 micrococci only visible. Enl. 5.50. 



Fig. 8. Fibre attacked by aerobic bacteria, disintegrating into librillae and enclosed 

 in a thin mucous layer as medium for a spirillae culture in whicli 3 species are 

 recognisable. Enl. 550. 



Fig. Ü. Destruction of a fibre of lillerpaper by }fi/co<joiic pxrcinioïdt't), besides 

 the fibrillary structure, cross pores have been foimed in the librillae owing to the 

 action of the cellulase. Enl, 550. 



(May 27, 1903). 



