196 



AMMONIFICAT10N 



by Sarcina lutea and B. mycoides, respectively, in twelve days at 

 temperatures between 27 C. and 30 C., while Marchal only 

 obtained similar transformation in thirty days at 30 C. in albumin 

 solutions." 



Species and Distribution. As was pointed out by Marchal, the 

 ammonifying organisms are very widely distributed in nature. 

 The power to split off ammonia from protein is a characteristic of 

 the majority of soil bacteria. Gage noted the production of 

 ammonia in thirteen out of twenty cultures of sewage bacteria tested 



FIG. 27. Ammonifying bacteria. 1. Bacterium mycoides; X 3,000. (Nadson.) 

 2. Bacterium mycoides; involution forms; X 3,000. (Nadson.) 3. Bacterium 

 tumescens. (Myec.) 4. Proteus vulgaris; X 3,000. (Nadson.) 5. Proteus vul- 

 garis; involution forms; X 3,000. (Nadson.) (Lipman's "Bacteria in Relation to 

 Country Life.") 



by him. He further found that the gelatin liquefiers have an 

 ammonifying power nearly twice as great as the non-liquefiers. 

 Chester found all but one of the organisms tested by him capable 

 of producing ammonia. C. B. Lipman tested the following fifteen 

 organisms in soils: B. mesentericus vulgatus, Ps. putida, B. vulgatus, 

 B. megatherium, B. mycoides, B. subtilis, B. tumescens, Sarcina 

 lutea, B. proteus vulgaris, B. icteroides, B. ramosus, Streptothrix, 

 sp., Ps. fluorescent, B. vulgaris (navy strain), and Mic. tetragenus as 

 to their ammonifying powers of dried blood, tankage, cotton-seed 



