1 10 BACTERIOLOGY. 



the yield of many kind of soils. Burri and 

 Stutzer claim that in the reduction of nitrate 

 through nitrite to ammonia, two kinds of bac- 

 teria are able to work symbiotically. 



This discovery has had still another interest- 

 ing consequence. The French investigators 

 Schlosing and Miintz had previously cham- 

 pioned the view that microbes play a role in 

 the disintegration of rocks. Since, however, it 

 was believed that chlorophyl-lacking microbes 

 were not able to assimilate carbonic acid, which 

 in this connection might possibly be regarded 

 as a source of carbon, they supposed a source of 

 carbon existed in alcohol (!), and took great 

 pains to show that alcohol is an uncommonly 

 widely distributed product and occurs every- 

 where over the earth. The matter was novel 

 and the argument so ingenious that serious 

 German periodicals immediately reported it to 

 their readers without heeding the derision of 

 every sound critic. The microbes that take 

 part in the disintegration of rocks are perhaps 

 just as well able to assimilate ammonium car- 

 bonate as those nitrate-forming bacteria found 

 in the soil and between the floors and ceilings 

 of our dwellings. Several years after, the ques- 

 tion was cleared up by new investigations, and 

 upon the appearance of Winogradsky's work, 

 Schlosing and Miintz changed their views. 



