June 19, 1885,] 



SCIENCE. 



507 



not necessary ; and yet, with this book in hand, 

 the beginner may feel sure of not going astraj', 

 if he follows the directions laid down in it. 



The book opens with a brief statement of the 

 various classes of bacteria, which is followed 

 by a consideration of the theory of spontane- 

 ous generation, and the principles upon which 

 sterilization depends. These latter are very 

 well and briefly stated. The various methods 

 of sterilization are spoken of and explained, 

 and due prominence is given to the method of 

 4 discontinuous ' or i intermittent ' sterilization 

 so much used at present. 



The second chapter is devoted to the various 

 forms of bacteria, and to an elucidation of the 

 microscopic technique. The method of obser- 

 vation of unstained and stained bacteria is 

 fully shown, and the general principles of the 

 aniline colors are explained. Here are brought 

 together, in a convenient form, all the various 

 staining-fluids of Koch, Ehrlich, etc., with 

 their formulae. The various accessories in the 

 way of reagents and instruments, are, of course, 

 included. 



The importance of the bacillus of tubercu- 

 losis in furnishing a conclusive method for the 

 diagnosis of this disease leads the author to 

 devote a number of pages to the methods of 

 staining this organism ; and all workers in this 

 branch of investigation will be glad to find 

 the full account of the methods of staining 

 spores which is given. The method of treating 

 sections of the tissues for purposes of showing 

 bacteria contained in them closes this portion 

 of the work. The various culture methods 

 and materials are clearly given ; and the for- 

 mulae for the various nutritive media, are, of 

 course, added. The advantages of the solid 

 over the fluid cultures are so manifest as to 

 need but a very few words ; but these advan- 

 tages are here so clearly set forth, that any 

 sceptic may be convinced if he will but read 

 the evidence. 



Something is said cf the saproplrytic and 

 parasitic bacteria, and a summary of the gen- 

 eral biological problems involved is given. 



The book closes with a few words on the 

 special investigation of earth, air, and water. 



All the more important implements needed 

 are figured in very good woodcuts, and there 

 are two lithographic plates showing various 

 culture colonies and stained bacteria. 



The work is a good one, and well done. It 

 is especially needed at the present time of in- 

 terest in all that belongs to bacteriological 

 research, and will certainty prove useful to 

 any one interested in the subject who is able 

 to translate easy German. 



SAPORTA 1 S PROBLEMATICAL ORGAN- 

 ISMS OF THE ANCIENT SEAS. 



Fossil algae are proverbially difficult and 

 unsatisfactory subjects for stud}\ Usually ol 

 irregular and variable forms, without definite 

 and characteristic surface-markings, and com- 

 posed only of cellular tissue which has entirely 

 disappeared, they have left shadowy outlines, 

 or mere casts, that afford only the most gen- 

 eral and superficial characters for compari- 

 son among themselves or with living plants : 

 hence there must be considerable uncertainty 

 in regard to the botanical relations of even 

 those best preserved ; while those which are 

 more obscure are liable to be, and have been, 

 confounded with tracings made hy floating 

 objects, the tracks or burrows of annelids, 

 with sponges, alcyonarians, medusae, and 

 other soft-bodied and perishable organisms. 

 Yet the supposed remains of seaweeds are 

 so abundant in rocks of all ages, from the 

 Cambrian up, that they could not be ignored ; 

 and a large number of more or less distinct 

 imprints, some of which are unmistaka- 

 ble algae, have been figured and described 

 by Sternberg, Brongniart, and other writers on 

 fossil botany who have followed them. Count 

 Saporta is one of the latest and most learned 

 of these writers, and one who has done much 

 excellent work in his studies of the mesozoic 

 and tertiary plants of France. In his valuable 

 and voluminous contributions to the ' Palaeon- 

 tologie Francaise,' and in his ' L'e volution du 

 regne vegetal,' he has given a large number of 

 figures and descriptions of what he supposed 

 to be fossil seaweeds, and has attempted a 

 more thorough review of this department of 

 fossil botany than any one else has ventured on. 

 As to the character of much of his material, 

 there can be no reasonable doubt ; but some 

 of his specimens are too obscure to warrant 

 any very positive assertions, and in some cases 

 his conclusions have been questioned. 



A somewhat sweeping criticism of Saporta 's 

 work was recentty made by Mr. A. G. Na- 

 thorst {Bull, de la soc. geol. de France, 3 ser. 

 t. xi. p. 452), who considers that most of his 

 so-called algae are simply casts of tracks or 

 other impressions mechanically made on the 

 sea-bottom. 



The work now published is largely a defence 

 of the views heretofore held by Saporta, and 

 it contains figures and descriptions of a number 

 of the casts and impressions which have been 

 the subjects of controvers}*. Among other 

 things noticed are those peculiar and enigmat- 



Lea organismes probltmatiques des anciennes mers. Par le 

 Marquis de Saporta. Paris, 1S84. 4°. 



