Kirchner — Bacteriological Examination of River Water. 271 
The tests gave results that were extremely erratic. While 
in the vast majority of cases there was a great increase in the 
number of bacteria, in certain instances the increase was 
either slight or the number of organisms had actually dimin- 
ished. This was particularly true in those samples that 
originally contained large numbers of bacteria. 
Experiments were also made to determine the effect of 
transportation under conditions that were most satisfactory. 
In order to carry out these tests the samples were plated 
immediately at the place where they were collected, and were 
then packed and kept on ice until they were replated on the 
following day. The comparative results are shown in the 
following table: — 
