554 The American Naturalist. [June, 
Some Recent Books on Bacteriology.—One of the most 
recent works dealing with the bacteria is Dr. Sternberg’s' Manual of 
Bacteriology. He is well known as an investigator in this field, and 
is moreover one of the pioneers in the United States. The work isa 
most comprehensive one, the best published in the English language. 
While perhaps not so full on pathogenic organisms as Baumgarten’s 
Lehrbuch der Pathologischen Mycologie, yet it is sufficiently full and 
complete to make it one of the best books of its kind. It moreover 
contains accounts of the most recent discoveries in regard to pathogenic 
organisms. : 
One hundred and one pages are devoted to history, classification, 
morphology and general bacteriological technology. The author 
adopts the classification of Baumgarten (1890) with slight modifica- 
tions. He divides the species into (*) relatively monomorphous and 
(?) pleomorphous. Under the first micrococci, bacilli, and spirilla are 
grouped ; under the second spirulina of Hueppe, leptotrichee (Zopf) 
and cladotrichee. Hauser’s Proteus also belongs here. Part second 
is devoted to general biological characters; including an account of 
the action of antiseptics and germicides. Dr. Sternberg’s work on 
antiseptics and germicides is so well known that it will not be necessary 
to refer to this part of the work at length. Three hundred pages are 
devoted to pathogenic bacteria, 158 species are carefully described, and 
many are illustrated. In some cases the colors of the growth when 
grown in different nutrient media are given. Botanists will be chiefly 
interested in the account given of the saprophytic bacteria. Chapters 
are devoted to the bacteria of the air and water, bacteria found in the 
stomach and intestinal canal, articles of food and soil, in which the 
usual methods of culture are given. Three hundred and thirty one 
species are described. This feature of the book makes it especially 
commendable. Those who have had occasion to use the classification 
of De Toni in Saccardo’s Sylloge Fungorum or that of Crookshank in 
his Manual of Bacteriology have found the descriptions of the species 
far from satisfactory. The descriptions given by Sternberg are ample 
for the determination of the species. ; 
The biological characters are very full. An excellent bacterio- 
logical diagnosis is a great aid in the determination of the species. 
few errors have made their way into this part of the book. On page 
758, Bacillus citreus-cadaveris is said to be motile, but turning to pag? 
7A Manual of Bacteriology. Illustrated by heliotype and chromolithographi¢ 
plates and two hundred and sixty-eight engravings, 886 pp. New York, Wm. 
and Co., 1892. 
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