ZOOLOaY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 297 



fertile ; in the latter case, where the mother died in three days after 

 inoculation, the liver of the foetus, which was only • 03 metre long, 

 was found to contain numerous groups of Bacillus anihracis. 



Development of Bacillus Amylobacter in Plants in a Normal 

 Condition of Life.* — P. Van Tieghem points out that this microbe, 

 which produces the butyric fermentation, is a liquid containing a 

 small quantity of nitrogenous and mineral substances, presents quite 

 different phenomena of development, when its spores are introduced 

 into ordinary water in which are immersed portions of living plants 

 which it attacks and speedily destroys. In the first case, if the water 

 is constantly aerated, the development of the bacillus is arrested. In 

 the second case, if a current of air is passed through the water, the 

 Bacillus no longer developes in the interior of the fragments of 

 plants, but extends for a short distance around them, and then 

 secretes a large quantity of a gelatinous substance, which unites 

 the separate individuals into a dense limpid and hyaline mass, which 

 is sometimes as much as 2 cm. in thickness. In this condition, where 

 it is protected from contact with the surrounding oxygen, B. Amylo- 

 hacter presents a strong resemblance to Leuconostoc. 



By experiments on potatoes, beans, and other similar substances. 

 Van Tieghem showed that, when inoculated with spores of B. 

 Amylobacter, even when fully exposed to the air, the cellular tissues 

 are in time completely destroyed, and are replaced by a fluid mass 

 containing grains of unaltered starch, albuminoid substances, butyric 

 acid, &c. 



Influence of Light on the Vegetation and on the Pathogenous 

 Properties of Bacillus anthracis.f — S. Arloing finds that Bacillus 

 anthracis grows best in diffused light or in shade ; augmentation of 

 the intensity of the light retards the vegetation of the mycelium. 

 Simultaneous cultivations of solutions in darkness and in the pre- 

 sence of red rays seem to the naked eye to be similar ; with the 

 aid, however, of the Microscope one sees that the number, distinctness, 

 and refractive power of the spores is much greater in solutions 

 exposed to the coloured rays ; red rays have the same advantage over 

 white light. Yellow rays are less advantageous than red. The 

 calorific are more advantageous to growth than actinic rays. 



There is no reason for believing that the action of calorific or 

 actinic rays continued through several generations produces any 

 change in the pathogenous activity of bacilli ; it remains the same 

 under the influence of calorific rays, and is perhaps rather increased 

 than diminished with actinic rays. The author proposes to study the 

 effect of solar rays. 



History of Development and Morphology of Bacillus anthracis.t 

 — In opposition to the view of Buchnerj§ A. Prazmowski main- 



* Bull. Soc. Bot. France, xxxi. (1884) pp. 283-7. 

 t Comptes Eendus, c. (1885) pp. 375-81. 



X Verh. Akad. Wiss. Krakau, xii. (1884) 1 pi. (Polish). See Bot. Centralbl., 

 XX. (1884) p. 292. 



§ See this Journal, ii. (1882) pp. 89, 832. 



