20 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [JANUARY — 
ing this name which I have employed agrees closely with Zimmermann’s 
description. The bacilli are small (0.64 by 1-2) with rounded ends, and 
occur both singly and in short chains; they are actively motile. Upon 
gelatin plates the colonies spread out into a thallus-like expansion and the 
surrounding medium assumes first a blue-green and later a grass-green tint. 
The growth on agar is elevated and translucent white, anda green fluorescence 
is imparted to the medium. The growth on potato is luxuriant, and has a 
rich chocolate-brown color. Milk is not coagulated, no indol is formed, and 
nitrate is not reduced. In the fermentation-tube no gas is produced, but the 
broth is rendered strongly acid. At 37-5° C. a good growth takes place 
upon agar, but no pigment is produced at this temperature. A perceptible 
amount of pigment is formed at 33° C. 
2. B. FL. TENUIS.— Described by Zimmermann? as a distinct species. 
Found also by Dittrich 4 and regarded by him likewise as a distinct species. 
Kruse,> however, considers this organism as merely a variety of B. fluorescens 
non-liguefaciens. My own culture bearing the name of B. fluorescens tenuis 
agrees very closely with B. 7. albus. The chief points of difference are (a) 
its failure to grow at all at 37-5° C.; (6) its ability to produce a small amount 
of indol in sugar-free broth. 
The fine, delicate leaf-like growth in streak-cultures, upon which Zimmer- 
mann chiefly bases his separation of this « species” from B. ft. albus, was 
noticed sometimes in my culture, but was not constant. 
3. B. FL, MESENTERICUS.— Described by Tartaroff.© I have not been 
able to see the original description. The culture sent me under this name 
. B. FL. PUTRIDUS.— Described in Fliigge’s Die Mikroorganismen, 2d edi- 
tion, p. 288; cf. also the 3d edition, 2: 292. My own culture bearing this 
name agrees in most respects with B. 7. albus. The chief differences are (a) 
much scantier growth at 37.5° C. : () less rapid growth on all media; (c)a 
dry, thin growth on potato, more restricted and duiler than that of B. 72. albus; 
(¢) a much more decided green tinge imparted to milk. 
These differences, although slight, have been constant during some ten 
months of observation. I have not been able to distinguish any difference 
between the character or intensity of the odor given off by this species and 
that observed in the three cultures previously described. 
3.Of. cit. p. 16. 
* Verhandl. d. naturhistor. Vereins zu Heidelberg N. F. 5 : 536. 1897. 
5 Fliigge, Die Mikroorganismen 2: 293. 
° Die Dorpater Wasserbakterien. Inaug. Diss., 1891. 
ae Vite 
