256 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Other bacteria, not being those of the colon-group, 

 were numerous, rather more so, perhaps, than in the 

 cultures made from Egremont and Rock Ferry mussels. 



Five anaerobic milk cultures were also made from 

 mussels Nos. 1, 3, 5, T and 9. In all cases the typical 

 enteritidis reaction was obtained. 



Fourteen of the " colon-like " colonies were then 

 examined in pure sub-culture by the methods indicated. 

 In 8 of these the reactions characteristic of B. coli were 

 obtained. Several white colonies were also examined, and 

 one of these (from mussel 10) gave the following reactions 

 in 24 hours : Bile-salt, glucose broth, glucose broth and 

 mannose broth — acid and gas ; sucrose broth and glycerine 

 broth — no reaction ; milk — feeble acidity ; lactose — no 

 reaction. The organism was a motile bacillus. In its 

 inability to ferment lactose it approaches to the character 

 of the typhoid bacillus. It probably belongs to the 

 paracolon group of microbes. 



More than half of the organisms described as " colon- 

 like " are, therefore, B. coll. 



A further examination of the mussels from the 

 Wallasey bed was made on July 4th. The sample in this 

 case was collected by Mr. Eccles. Dr. Houston's method 

 was adopted with the following results : — 



Dilution I. — In ^th part of one mussel there were 12 colon-like 



colonies. 



>, II- — ,, T tjo » » » was 1 colon-like 



colony. 

 Ill— -i_ 1 J 



,, -LJ..L. ,, 1(J00 ,, ,, ,, ,, -L ,, 



IV i— 1 



>> •*■ T * "1 OOOO " " " it x >> 



>> V. — ,, xooVoo " " >> were no colonies 



whatever. 



One colony sub-cultured from I. was B. coli; the 



colonies present in II. and IV. were also B. coli. This 



microbe was, therefore, present in ruunnth part of a mussel. 



