ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 711 



now used are only polyvalent in the sense of having been prepared from 

 a number of strains of Streptococci derived from different sources, but 

 not necessarily presenting am differences in chemical reactions, and 

 probably often really univalent. 



Bacterial Test whereby Particles shed from the Skin may be 

 Detected in the Air.* — M. H. Gordon finds that one particular Staphy- 

 lococcus, with uniform and definite characters — St. epidcrmidis albus 

 may be considered as characteristic of the epidermis of the hand, cheek, 

 scalp, and forearm, and its detection in air may be regarded as indicat- 

 ing the presence of particles shed from the skin. The author gives 

 the cultural and biochemical tests by which this organism may be 

 recognised. 



The Production of Arabin by Bacteria.f — W. Buhland finds that 

 B. spongiosum produces a gum consisting of pure arabin. The sources 

 of the gum are cane-sugar and raffinose. The gum formed by the 

 cherry is an arabin-galactin mixture belonging to the galactose group 

 and clearly distinguishable from bacterial gums. The bacterial origin 

 of the gum described by Greig Smith in a Phanerogam is not evident 

 and very improbable. 



Physiological Action of the Chemical Products of B. enteriditis 

 sporogenes.J — S. Martin grew B. enteriditis sporoyenes in broth, liquid 

 serum, alkali-albumen, broth, and on solid serum, which was rapidly 

 liquefied by the organism. After the bacilli had been filtered from the 

 culture media, the filtrate was found on experiment to possess no toxic 

 properties. 



Specific Agglutinins Formed by B. coli communis, B. typhosus, 

 B. paratyphosus, and B. proteus vulgaris.§— S. Martin has found 

 that the agglutinin of B. proteus vulgaris has no action against B. 

 typhosus, B. coli communis, or B. paratyphosus. The other micro- 

 organisms show some overlapping in their agglutinating reactions in low 

 dilutions ; the agglutinin of B. typhosus reacts slightly with B. coli 

 communis and B. paratyphosus ; the agglutinin of B. coli communis 

 reacts very slightly with B. typhosus, but not at all with B. paratyphosus ; 

 the agglutinin of B. paratyphosus reacts slightly with B. typhosus, and 

 more markedly, though irregularly, with B. coli communis ; in high 

 dilutions — 1 in 5000 and 1 in 1000 — this overlapping is not observed. 



Contagious Epithelioma of Birds. || — Et. Burnet contributes a study 

 of this disease which has the nature of a contagious affection resembling 

 molluscum contagiosum, and producing local epidermic proliferations 

 which have an epitheliomatous appearance, and the virus of which is able 

 to pass through a Berkef eld filter. The disease affects farmyard poultry, 

 appearing on the non-feathered parts of the head as small tumours, 

 which after three or four weeks dry up and disappear without leaving a 

 scar ; when more extensive and affecting the feathered parts, the bird 



* Rep. Local Gov. Board Med. Officer, Supp., 1904-5, p. 387. 



t Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Gesell., xxiv. (1906) p. 395. 



J Rep. Local Gov. Board Med. Officer, Supp., 1904-5, p. 377. 



§ Tom. cit., p. 381. || Ann. Inst. Pasteur, xx. (1906) p. 742. 



