SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 249 



Results of the anaerobic milk cultures : All the 

 milk tubes showed the typical " enteritidis reaction," 

 that is, clotting, acid formation, and subsequent bleaching 

 of the litmus, abundant gas formation so that the clot was 

 broken up, and a foetid smell. The spores of B. enteritidis 

 sporogenes (or of some other anaerobic spore-forming 

 bacillus) were therefore present. 



Fifteen of the colon-like colonies were then selected 

 and sub-cultured, with the result that B. coli was found to 

 be present on every plate. At the least one- third of the 

 colonies were proved to be those of B. coli. Therefore in 

 yo to J- cc. of the stomach contents of the worst mussel 

 examined, that is in a good-sized drop, there were present 

 about 300 colon bacilli. 



A great number of other microbes were also present. 

 Many of these grew on neutral-red agar as white colonies. 

 This colour of colony on this medium is characteristic of 

 the typhoid bacillus. Several white colonies were, there- 

 fore, sub-cultured, but B. typhosus was not present. None 

 of these white colonies was identified with certainty. 

 Staphylococci were abundantly present in most of the 

 plates, but these microbes have no special significance and 

 are widely distributed. B. acidi lactici was also numerous. 

 Here again this bacillus has no dangerous significance. 

 It is very numerous in sewage but need not necessarily 

 be derived from the human intestine. 



The 'analysis showed, then, that the Egremont 

 mussel bed was excessively polluted, and that the mussels 

 were feeding on the sewage matters. 



