No. 378.] REVIEWS OF RECENT LITERATURE. 457 
tin or thick glue. Under favorable conditions this growth is extremely 
abundant and very conspicuous, filling the streams and pools with 
white or yellowish-white, thready, flocculent, firmly anchored, 
streaming masses, which are usually 3 to 5 cm. long, but which 
in small rapid brooks sometimes reach a length of 20 cm. The 
water of Yumoto is only very feebly acid, but contains a large 
amount of sulphide of hydrogen (about 0.04 grams per liter), and also 
considerable calcium bicarbonate (0.0624 grams per liter). Professor 
Miyoshi suggests that these organisms, the protoplasm of which 
must be endowed with great energy owing to the temperature at 
which it grows, oxidize the H-S directly to H2SO,, which acid does 
not interfere with the life of the bacteria because it is quickly neu- 
tralized by the alkaline bicarbonate of the running water. A dis- 
cussion of the morphology and physiology of these organisms is 
reserved for a subsequent paper, no opinion being ventured as to 
whether the gelatinous masses consist of one or of several species. 
In the second part, the chemotropism of Chromatium weissii is 
discussed, and some new genera and species of the red sulphur 
bacteria are established. The three new genera are Thioderma, 
Thiospherion, and Thiosphxra. Using Pfeffer’s capillary method 
he obtained among others the following results with Chromatium 
weissit. It was powerfully attracted by the following substances: 
water containing various quantities of sulphide of hydrogen, 0.3% 
potassium nitrate, 0.3% ammonium nitrate, 0.3% ammonium phos- 
phate, 0.5% ammonium tartrate, 0.3% potassium sodium tartrate, 
0.3% monopotassium phosphate (neutralized by sodium carbonate). 
It was feebly attracted by 0.5% cane sugar, 0.5% grape sugar, 0.5% 
milk sugar, 0.5% asparagin. It was nearly indifferent to 0.5 % glycer- 
ine, 0.3% magnesium sulphate, 0.3% ammonium chloride. It was 
strongly repelled by 0.5% malic acid. The organism also reacts to 
contact irritation. The temperature of the water in which these red 
bacteria grew was 23° to 35° C. An attractive lithographic plate 
accompanies the paper. Erwin F. SMITH. 
Ripening of Cheese. — Persons who are fond of Roquefort, Ca- 
membert, and other piquant cheeses will be surprised to learn that 
fully one-half of the bulk of such cheeses, and often much more, 
consists of the mycelium and spores of fungi. These are not acci- 
dental impurities but necessary constituents, by means of which the 
various cheeses are ripened, and to which they owe their peculiar 
flavors. In reality, those who eat these appetizing cheeses consume 
