1900] MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 351 



Hansen) found in connection with the fermentation of 

 ginger. The organism in its appearance and manner of 

 growth seemed to be a form of so-called Mycoerma. Pri- 

 mary films of this organism occur on the culture medium 

 in twenty-four to forty-eight hours, later becoming a 

 greasy wrinkled film. Secondary films make their ap- 

 pearance some time after fermentation has ceased. In 

 young vigorous cultures the cells are almost entirely el- 

 lipsoidal or slightly egg-shaped, vacuoles appear when the 

 cells have finished their active growth. Spores are form- 

 ed very readily. In order to gernginate, the spores must 

 be fully ripe. The spore begins to swell in about twenty- 

 four hours after souring at 18 °C. The spore becomes 

 more transparent, it swells till about twice the original 

 size of the spore. It then develops a bud on this surface. 

 The optimum temperature is 28 °C. but growth takes 

 place between 15°C. and 32°C. It is slow at 10°C. and 

 killed at 55°C. for five minutes. It produces alcoholic 

 fermentation in xylose, mannate, umacacia, dextrin, lac- 

 tose, maltose, soluble starch, dextrose, saccharose and 

 laevulose. 



Chromogenic Micrococcus. — Miss Mary Hefferan in 

 the course of an examination of river water from the san- 

 itary District Chicago found a chromogenic micrococcus. 

 This water is plated in Hayden Agar which i« a much bet- 

 ter medium for bringing a large number of bacteria to de- 

 velopment than ordinary peptone agar. At the end of ten 

 days the Hayden and peptone agar present colonies in 

 the ratio 21 : 400. The particular organism only develop- 

 ed on the Hayden agar. The writer compares this organ- 

 ism with other known red micrococci. The name Micro- 

 coccus roseus flavus is given. 



Seed Burying Awns. — L. Murbach presents an inter- 

 esting account of the mechanics of the seed-burying awns 

 of Stipa avenacea. The cause is found in the thick-walled 



