ZOOLOGY AND ROTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 213 



Bacilli growing on Drigalski-Conradi Nutrient Agar.* — J. Th. 

 Terburgh obtained from the analysis of canal and other waters in 

 Amsterdam, (II pure cultures of organisms grown on Drigalski-Conradi 

 plates. Of these 18 were red colonies, 16 showing cultural relationship 

 to the Coli group, but exhibiting many variations, and 2 being gelatin 

 liquefiers were assigned to the Proteus group. The remaining 48 cultures 

 had blue colonies ; of these, 2 showed a faint red coloration round 

 the blue, and belonged to the spirilla, but did not liquefy gelatin ; 

 9 colonies showed coccal forms ; 15 belonged to four groups — B. 

 pyocyansus (2), B. fluorescens liq. (4), B. fluorescens non-liq. ((i), and 

 B. proteus vulgaris (3), so that this last group was represented in both 

 the red and the blue colonies. The organisms of 3 colonies resembled 

 those of B. typhosus, but could be differentiated both from this and 

 from the B. paratyphosus by their agglutinating reactions. The re- 

 maining 14 cultures showed many varieties. 



Bacterium Agreste.f — F. Lohnis has isolated from agricultural soil 

 on mannite-soil-agar cultivations, a nitrogen-fixing organism morpho- 

 logically resembling B. pestis, but which is non-pathogenic and possesses 

 active motility. He has named this organism B. agreste. The colonies 

 appeared after 1-2 days at 30° C, as light grey transparent circular 

 or oval drops, of 6 mm. diameter, composed of round-ended rods f fx 

 broad by 1/a-2ju, long ; they stain by the ordinary dyes, but not by Gram's 

 method, and often show polar staining ; they rarely form threads or 

 chains ; they are actively motile and have peritrichous flagella ; room 

 temperature is more favourable to growth than a temperature of 87° C. ; 

 gelatin is not liquefied ; milk is unchanged, but, on shaking, it appears 

 slimy and thready ; on potato it forms a white to yellowish-white 

 growth ; indol production was noted ; glucose and lactose were not 

 fermented ; in giycerin-saltpetre-soil extract the nitrogen of the saltpetre 

 is fixed in organic form within six days ; no pathogenic action could be 

 observed. 



Actinomycetes.J — E. Haass reviews the position and subclassification 

 of this group of organisms, and refers to the classing according to 

 source, cultural characters, microscopical appearances, the resistance to 

 heat, the presence or absence of pathogenic properties ; he refers also to 

 their relationship to the true bacilli, to B. tuberculosis and B. diphtheria 

 on the one hand, and on the other to the moulds ; he concludes that 

 the family of the Actinomycetes stands between the Schizomycetes and 

 the Hyphomycetes. 



Bacteriology of Measles.§ — Ag. Borini examined the blood, and 

 bronchial and conjunctival secretions of children affected with measles. 

 From blood cultures was obtained a small slender bacillus ; in glycerin- 

 agar and on defibrinated blood it formed punctif orm, transparent, greyish- 

 white colonies. It did not coagulate milk or form C0 2 or indol. When 

 cultures were injected into animals these died in ?>-Q days, with 

 pneumonia or pleurisy. 



* Centralbl. Bakt., Orig. lte Abt., xl. (1905) p. 258. 

 t Tom. cit., p. 177. J Tom. cit., p. 180. 



§ Riforma Med., June 24, 1905. See also Centralbl. Bakt., 1>' Abt. Orig., xl. 

 (1905) pp. 194-7 (1 pi.). 



