60 



barium chloride titration) gives unsatisfactory results with solu- 

 tions of calcium bicarbonate and tap waters, owing to the solu- 

 bility of the precipitated calcium carbonate. If the precipitation is 

 done in the presence of solid calcium carbonate in calcium 

 hydroxide and calcium chloride, good results are obtained with 

 short intervals of standing. 



IV. THE SOIL ORGANISMS. 

 (Bacteriological, Mycological and Protozoological Departments.) 



(a) BACTERIA. 



XXXVII. H. G. Thornton. " On the Vibration Method 

 of Obtaining a Suspension of the Bacteria in a Soil 

 Sample, Developed by C. L. Whittles/' Journal of 

 Agricultural Science, 1923. Vol. XIII., pp. 352-353. 



A criticism of the results obtained in preliminary work with 

 this bacterial count method. 



XXXVIII. H. G. Thornton and N. N. Gangulee. " Seed 

 Inoculation of Lucerne (Medicago Sativa) and its 

 Relation to the Motility of the Nodule Organism in 

 Soil." Nature, December, 1924. 



Preliminary results of work on the passage of the nodule 

 organism through soil and of the relation of this to seed inocula- 

 tion. The addition of soluble phosphate to the milk suspension 

 of bacteria used to inoculate seed was found, in pot experiments, 

 to produce a large increase in nodule numbers. 



XXXIX. P. H. H. Gray and C. H. Chalmers. " On the 

 Stimulating Action of Certain Organic Compounds on 

 Cellulose Decomposition by Means of a New Aerobic 

 Micro-organism that Attacks Both Cellulose and 

 Agar." Annals of Applied Biology, 1924. Vol. XL, 

 pp. 321-338. 



A new micro-organism from soil is described that has the 

 power of rapidly decomposing cellulose and agar. It can utilise 

 either of these substances as the sole source of energy, and the 

 ability to decompose these compounds is not lost after long sub- 

 culturing in the laboratory. The organism has been named 

 Microspira agar-liquefaciens. Pure-culture experiments showed 

 that under conditions of adequate aeration this organism will 

 decompose filter-paper to a greater extent when supplied with 

 small quantities of xylose and lignin. 



See also paper III. 



(b) protozoa. 



XL. H. Sandon. " Some Protozoa from the Soils and 

 Mosses of Spitsbergen/ 1 Journal of the Linnean 

 Society (Zool.), 1923. Vol XXXV., pp. 149-475. 

 The protozoa contained in 3 samples of mud, 8 samples of 

 soil, and 14 samples of mosses from Spitsbergen have been in- 

 vestigated. An abundant fauna was found, most of which was 

 identical with that occurring in the soils and mosses of temperate 

 lands. 



