ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 611 



method. The authors consider that the organism is derived from an 

 oval globule which corresponds to the Cytorrhyctes litis, passes through 

 a phase resembling a trypanosome, and subsequently attains the form of 

 a Treponema as the result of an agamous multiplication of the macro- 

 gamete (trypanosome). 



Cultivation of Glanders.* — M. Nicolle made a nutrient agar of the 

 following composition. 500 grm. of finely chopped meat were macerated 

 for one night in 1 litre of water. 500 grm. of coarsely cut potato were 

 macerated for a similar time in 1 litre of water. The two fluids were 

 mixed, and 20 grm. of Chapoteaut's pepton, 10 grm. salt, 20 grm. 

 glycerin, and 20 grm. agar added. After sterilisation and alkalisation 

 the condensation water is removed by placing them in the incubator 

 before capping. This medium is suitable not only for glanders, but 

 also for any organism that is cultivable in agar. The growth therein is 

 infinitely richer than on ordinary agar, but dies much more rapidly. 



The author then goes on to describe the procedure by which he 

 obtains large masses of bacteria. The method is essentially the same as 

 the foregoing, and consists in cultivating in Petri capsules containing 

 giycerin-potato-agar, the condensation water being removed by means 

 of blotting-paper. 



Collecting and Studying Flustrella hispida.f — R. M. Pace 

 collected the material from places on the South Coast, where it was 

 found abundantly between tidemarks on Fucus, and occasionally on 

 other alga?. The colonies form dark mossy-looking patches, encrusting 

 the algal fronds. 



For the study of larval development, colonies of one or two seasons' 

 growth taken close to low-water mark proved the most suitable. Such 

 colonies contain abundance of spermatozoa or of ova and larva?, accord- 

 ing to the season. The reproductive period commences early in February 

 and continues till the beginning of August. In pure running water 

 Flustrella hispida may be kept alive in tanks for an indefinite period, 

 but usually only for a few days to a week. 



The larvae were examined in the living state and after fixation ; 

 the fixatives used were (1) saturated sublimate with 5 p.c. acetic acid ; 

 (2) 5 p.c. chromic acid 100 parts, with 5 drops acetic acid ; (3) 

 Flemming ; (4) Hermann ; (5) chromo-nitro-osmic mixture ; (6) acetic 

 alcohol with sublimate to saturation ; (7) Kleinenberg. After fixation 

 the material was removed to 70 p.c. alcohol. Chrom-acetic acid and 

 corrosive acetic gave the best results for fixation in bulk. Larva? were 

 isolated by slicing off the front wall of the colony with a razor ; the 

 larva? lie just below this wall, enclosed in the tentacle-sheath. For 

 isolated larva? the best fixatives were corrosive acetic and acetic alcohol 

 saturated with sublimate. 



Entire eggs and larva? were examined during life and after fixation. 

 The latter were stained with borax-cannin or with safranin. In some 

 cases the nuclear spindles and the yolk-nucleus were clearly brought out. 



Sections were made from isolated larva? and of colonies containing 



* Ann. Inst. Pasteur, xx. (1906) pp. 625-64. 



t Quart. Journ. Micr. Sci., 1. (1906) pp. 435-78 (66 figs.). 



