ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 1047 



a brewery. He coufirms tlie statement of previous observers,* of 

 its power of separating free sulphur from tlie sulphates contained in 

 the water in which it is found, in the form of refringent globules 

 found within its cells. M. Schnetzler has observed the segments 

 divide themselves into little discs, and these again divide into zoo- 

 gloea-masses. Sometimes the cells elongate into a bacillus-form, or 

 twist into a vibrio-form, and it is from these cells that the filaments 

 of Beggiatoa are developed. He regards the organism as a degraded 

 Oscillaria, which has retained its power of oscillation, but has lost its 

 capacity for forming chlorophyll, and also the mucilaginous sheath 

 which originally surrounded it. 



Algae of Thermal Waters.f — M. J. Thore has published a mono- 

 graph of the algfe found in the warm springs of Dax, at a temperature 

 of 64P C, which form a green, brown, or greenish-brown deposit on 

 any object brought into contact with the waters or their vapour. 

 These alg^e are of very simple organization and minute size, and do 

 not resemble those of fresh or salt water. He divides them into five 

 groups, viz : — (1) Globular forms containing protoj)lasm which is 

 first yellow and then green, and which gives birth to organisms 

 resembling the Palmellaceae, Merismopedia, &c., or dividing in one 

 direction only and passing into moniliform algae of group (2), pre- 

 senting the appearance of Nostochinefe, with here and there larger 

 cells or heterocysts. (3) Tubular algae, with forms intermediate 

 between these and group (2). (4) Filamentous cylindrical algae, of a 

 blue-green colour and endowed with rotatory and oscillatory motions, 

 Oscillarieae, including Oscillaria niger. (5) Minute organisms be- 

 longing to the Bacteriaceae. The author states that these organisms 

 are formed directly from the glarous protoplasm by condensation and 

 inclosure within an envelope. He distinguishes two modes of genesis 

 from this glarous protoplasm, spherical and tubular. The forms 

 included in the second and third groups belong exclusively to the 

 thermal flora, and M. Thore suggests that they may possibly bo the 

 last surviving representatives of the ancient flora of the warm seas of 

 the Laurentian and Silurian epochs. 



Cystitis and Nephritis produced by Micrococcus ureae. :{: — 

 MM. R. Lcpine and G. Roux find that cystitis and nephritis may bo 

 produced in the healthy animal by the introduction of Micrococcus 

 ureae into the ureter. Experiments made on guinea-pigs showed that 

 the mucous membrane of the bladder was inflamed, and that if the 

 animal was killed soon after the experiment the kidneys were con- 

 gested. Sections revealed the presence of micrococci in the epithe- 

 lial colls, and a fragment of the central portion of tlie kidney gave a 

 pure cultivation of Micrococcus ureae. Corresponding results were 

 obtained with dogs, even though the urine is there acid. 



EflFect of Sunlight on Micrococcus.§ — M. E. Duclaux follows up 

 bis researches on the influences of the environment on microbes by an 



♦ fioo this Journul, iv. (1881) p. 937. 



t liuU. Hoc. do Bf.nla, 1885. Seo Jonrn. de Microgr., ix. (1885) p. 320. 



X Journ. df;H 8oc. Kcicntifiqucs, i. (1885) p. 3G9. 



§ Cornptcs Kondiw, ci. (1885) pp. 31)5-8. 



3 Y 2 



