368 



TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



Results of Tertiary Sub-cultures. 



ussel. 



Bile-salt 



Glucose. 



Lactose 



Mannose. 



Cane Sugar. 



Milk 



1 



... ag 



.. ag .. 



. ag 



.. ag . 



.. ... 



a 



2 



... ag 



.. ag .. 



. ag 



.. ag . 



.. ... 



a c 



3 



... ag 



.. ag .. 



. ag 



.. ag . 



. ... 



a c 



4 



... ag 



.. ag .. 



• a g 



.. ag . 



.. ... 



a c 



5 



a 



a .. 



a 



a . 



.. ... 



a 



6 



... ag 



.. ag .. 



. ag 



.. ag . 



.. ... 



a c 



8 



... ag 



.. ag .. 



. ag 



.. ag . 



.. ... 



a c 



9 



... ag 



.. ag .. 



• ag 



.. ag . 



.. ... 



a c 



10 



... ag 



.. ag .. 



. ag 



.. ag . 



.. ... 



a c 



10 



... ag 



.. ag .. 



. ag 



.. ag . 



.. ... 



a c 



All these colonies, except Nos. 1 and 5, are, therefore, 

 those produced by Bacillus coli, or by a very closely allied 

 organism. 



Conclusion. — The results indicate a certain degree of 

 sewage pollution. This is, indeed, slight — so slight as to be 

 certainly insufficient to justify any degree of interference 

 with the local industry, unless other evidence were forth- 

 coming which might render these bacteriological results 

 of significance. Now it is here that one might expect 

 freedom from sewage contamination. There are only two 

 neighbouring towns, Barrow and Ulverston, the influence 

 of which need be considered, and the situation of these 

 places with respect to Boosebeck Scars is not such as to 

 lead us to expect serious pollution of the latter, especially 

 when the direction of the tidal streams is considered. 

 Nevertheless, sewage bacteria are carried to the mussels. 

 I can only suggest that the sea all along the coast of 

 Lancashire is generally slightly polluted with sewage 

 matters, and that it is this general pollution of the sea 

 water which is the cause of the contamination in cases 

 like the present one. 



To what extent does the sea contain sewage bacteria ? 



