ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 107 



Pediococcus alhus was founcl in a water-spring supplying a brewery, 

 and in white beer. It liquefies gelatin rapidly, and forms a white crust 

 on the surface. 



Sarcina Candida, found in brewery water as spherical or irregular 

 zoogloeae about the size of a pin's head. These consist of diplococci, the 

 sarcina form only appearing in hay decoction. Gelatin is rapidly 

 liquefied by this organism. Diameter of the individual cells 1*5 to 

 1-7 /x. 



Sarcina rosea, found in the fermenting room of breweries. On agar 

 it forms little colonies, which consist of small spherical elements, among 

 which very large cells often appear. In liquid media it throws down a 

 red sediment that becomes green on addition of sulphuric acid and 

 reverts to red on neutralizing with caustic soda. 



Nitric and hydrochloric acids, caustic soda and ammonia, do not alter 

 the pigment, which is soluble in alcohol but not in chloroform, petro- 

 leum-ether, benzol, or bisulphide of carbon. 



Sarcina aurantiaca from orange-coloured sarcinae or hay decoction. 

 It is also found in Berlin white beer. 



The pigment is turned a dark blue-green by sulphuric acid, and on 

 addition of caustic soda becomes red. 



Sarcina flava was isolated from beer which contained Pediococcus 

 cerevisise. This sarcina should not be confounded with the yellow 

 Sarcina lutea Schroter. The size of the individual cells amounts to 

 2-25 IX, and the cube-masses often measure along the side 38 /a. 



Tlae pigment is changed to a dirty green with sulphuric acid ; soda 

 restores the yellow colour. 



Sarcina maxima found in mash. It closely resembles Sarcina 

 ventricuU, but is distinguished therefrom by the absence of the cellulose 

 reaction. Grown at 40°-45° C. the cells often attain a diameter of 

 3-4 IX. Mash at other temperatures did not develope this Sarcina. 

 In none of these Sarcinse were involution forms observed. 



Photomicrographic Atlas of Bacteriology. — Dr. 0. Fraenkel and 

 Dr. E. Pfeiffer are bringing out an Atlas of Bacteriology which is to be 

 illustrated by photographs of the various micro-organisms, showing them 

 in their different phases, and as they appear in cultivations, in sections, 

 &c. The illustrations will be accompanied by an explanatory text. 



The atlas will be completed in from 12 to 15 parts, each of which 

 will contain about ten photographs. 



Protoplasm considered as a Ferment Organism.* — This comprehen- 

 sive work is a posthumous expansion of a brochure of the author, Prof. 

 A. Wigand. The book has been put through the press by Dr. E. 

 Dennert, who co-operated with the writer during his lifetime. It is 

 essentially a series of essays on Bacteria and their work, putrescence, 

 fermentation, and the production of diastase, and contains also lucubra- 

 tions on molecular physiology. The volume is divided into three parts, 

 the first of which discusses the fermentative action of Bacteria, the second 

 part treats of the theory of fermentation, while the third in entitled the 

 Anamorphosis of Protoplasm. In the first part the author discusses the 

 relations between putrescence and Bacteria, lactic fermentation, and 

 the ferment-organisms which produce diastase ; the second part treats 



* Botanische Hefte (Wigaad), Heft 3, x. and 294 pp., 8vo, Marburg, 1888. 



