1881.] 



MICROSCOPICAL JOUET^AL. 



95 



between those forms which the 

 eminent mycologists above mentioned 

 claim to have demonstrated. Eight 

 species of (iymnosporangium and the 

 same number of Roestelia are fully 

 described. The article is illustrated 

 with two fine lithograph-plates. 

 o 



Parasites of the Termites. — 

 This is the title of a valuable con- 

 tribution from Prof. Joseph Leidy, 

 published in the Journal of the Acade- 

 my of Natural Sciences, of Phila- 

 delphia. It is illustrated by two 

 large quarto plates. 



The Termites or "white ants " are 

 represented by a species common in 

 New Jersey and in the vicinity of 

 Philadelphia, known as Termes fla- 

 vipes. It is found in dry, sandy forests 

 and fields, and is frequent beneath 

 decaying timbers, discarded railroad 

 ties, etc. 



The intestinal canal contains a 

 brownish, semi-liquid food, which 

 swarms with myriads of parasites ; 

 the parasites, indeed, constitute the 

 greater portion of the contents. It 

 would seem, as Prof. Leidy sug- 

 gests, that the termite simply fulfills 

 the part of a disintegrating mill which 

 reduces the ligneous food to a pulpy 

 condition, adapted to the delicate 

 constitution of its parasitic inhabi- 

 tants, the welfare of the host being of 

 comparatively little consequence. 

 When we consider the vast number 

 of parasites which each termite sup- 

 ports, it is not strange that its appetite 

 should be ravenous, and that the 

 insect should be destructive to houses, 

 furniture and books. A number of 

 new species of parasites are describ- 

 ed in the article, but we cannot 

 satisfactorily present their character- 

 istics. We can do no better than to 

 close this brief notice by the follow- 

 ing quotation : — 



" Termites, or White-ants, are so 

 common, easily obtained and pre- 

 served alive, and their parasites are 

 so exceedingly numerous, constant 

 in their occurrence, and curious, that 

 once the fact becomes sufficiently 



known, the insects will become 

 favorite subjects to illustrate at once 

 the infinity of life and the wonders 

 that are revealed by the microscope." 

 o 



Bacteria. — In a late number of 

 Science there is a short article giving 

 a r/sum^ ol the results of experiments 

 by Mr. F. Hatton, on the action of 

 various gases upon bacteria. The 

 original article was read before the 

 London Chemical Society, and, al- 

 though the synopsis before us is less 

 complete than we would wish to en- 

 able one to form a just estimate of 

 the bearing of the experiments upon 

 the physiological relations of the bac- 

 teria, it seems to be established that 

 those organisms can exist under cir- 

 cumstances that are usually regarded 

 as quite inimical to either animal or 

 vegetable life. 



In one experiment, which conti- 

 nued fifteen days, in atmospheric air, 

 20 per cent, of oxygen disappeared, 

 but only 17 per cent, of CO2 was 

 formed. When the liquid containing 

 the bacteria was placed in an atmo- 

 sphere of hydrogen for fourteen days, 

 the gas was found to contain 0.34 

 per cent, of CO2 and 98.92 per 

 cent, of H. In ten days pure oxy- 

 gen was found to contain 29.98 per 

 cent, of CO2 and 70.02 per cent, 

 of O. Sulphurous anhydride did not 

 destroy the organisms ; at the end of 

 fifteen days the gas was found to 

 contain CO2 7.87 per cent., N 2.13, 

 and SO2 90.10 per cent. Cyanogen 

 seems to prevent the growth of bac- 

 teria ; but, under the conditions of 

 the experiment, this gas became de- 

 composed, forming ammonic oxalate 

 and other compounds, after which 

 the organisms revived. A somewhat 

 remarkable result is announced from 

 an experiment made with spongy iron 

 and air. In four days the bacteria 

 had disappeared, and, on the fifth 

 day, an analysis of the air gave 0.26 

 per cent. C02, 99.74 per cent, of N , 

 while the oxygen had entirely disap- 

 peared. Acetylene, salicylic acid, 

 strcyhnine (10 per cent.), morphine. 



