402 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Nov. 



BACTERIOLOGY. 



A Bacterial Disease of the Squash-bug. — Some squash- 

 bug-skept for experimental purposes were found to bedying- 

 in considerable numbers, in an apparently healthful en- 

 vironment. The disease wks readily passed on to other 

 bug's. The distressed insects became sluggish, and very 

 weak, and finally died, the body becoming a mass of gruel 

 like fluid. Cultures were made from dead insects upon 

 various nutrient media, agar-agar, bouillon, gelatin, milk, 

 etc., giving colonies of a bacillus. Inoculation of this bac- 

 illus produced the disease in healthy bugs. Infusions 

 of different cultures were found to have characteristic 

 toxic properties. Bug's placed in these infusions died 

 with every symptom of distress. Preparations of the 

 blood of diseased insects showed a short bacillus, single or 

 in pairs. The tissues of the insects break down under the 

 growth of these organisms, which probably enter insects 

 through the spiracles. — B. M. Duggar before the Botanical 

 Society of America at Buffalo. 



Professor Chantemesse bought at the Paris markets 

 French, English, Belgian and Portuguese oysters and 

 found in them the presence of numerous germs, and 

 especially that of the coli bacillus. 



A recently published report of investigations of the 

 effects of tobacco during the epidemic of cholera at Ham- 

 burg- states that there were no live microbes after twenty- 

 four hours in the cigars made up with water containing- 

 1,500,000 cholera microbes to the cubic centimeter. 



A new laboratory of bacteriology has been established 

 at the University of Pennsylvania to study all diseases 

 connected with poultry and cattle. Dr. M. P. Ravenel has 

 been made director and bacteriologist. 



Angers, France, has a bacteriological laboratory with an 

 annual appropriation of about 2500 francs. 



