64 
when many cultures are in consideration, since neither the labels on 
the tubes nor the nature of the growth can be readily seen without 
taking out each individual tube. This difficulty is overcome in the 
new cage, the frame of which consists of wooden strips three-eighths 
or one-half inch thick, and about 1£ inches wide. The two upright 
ends (a, a) should be about 4 inches high, with grooves (b, b) cut along 
each side into which a plate of glass, c, can be slipped. The two up- 
rights are dovetailed into the horizontal piece (r7), pegged and firmly 
glued. This done, the two plates of glass are inserted, the bottom 
covered with cotton to the depth of half an inch, and the tubes placed 
in as shown in the figure. In doing so the slanting surface of solid 
media should be turned to the outside and the label placed on the same 
side. In this way no difficulty is experienced in speedily finding any 
tube desired and watching from the outside what progress any growth 
may be making. The cage should be wide enough to receive two rows 
of tubes, as then there is less danger of its falling over so easily. They 
can be made any desired length, and the uprights to any height de- 
manded for the best tubes in use. 
OBSERVATIONS AND EXPERIMENTS. 
June 11 a Boll Worm was placed in a cage to rear in confinement. 
It fed until June 13, when it entered the earth for pupation, but died 
in the attempt, June 15. The anterior part of the body began to decay 
and then darken. At the decaying portion a cut was made dorsally 
with the proper precautions, and a brownish golden-colored liquid is- 
sued. A drop of this was transferred to a tube of broth and a liquid 
culture made. From this in the usual manner pure cultures were ob- 
tained on solid media. The posterior portion of the body did not de- 
compose so rapidly, and though rather spongy, retained its natural 
color for some time. As the rotting proceeded, the color changed to a 
brownish or darker color. 
The germ which probably caused death changes beef broth to a de- 
cided white turbidity, with scant white deposit at first. As the growth 
advances the deposit becomes more abundant and the liquid begins 
turning greenish. Finally, the broth clears and is a beautiful deep 
green, with plenty of white sediment at the bottom. On agar-agar 
the growth is very thin and scant, beginning by numerous small, ir- 
regularly roundish, almost colorless colonies. They gradually spread 
a little, and if numerous enough form a thin, rather granular-appear- 
ing white film. The first pure cultures on solid agar media give the 
medium a faint, greenish tinge, but this power seems gradually to 
weaken with subsequent cultures. The germ was found to be quite 
sensitive to artificial cultivation, and doubtless loses much of its origi- 
nal power by such a process. In some respects the growths upon agar- 
agar and beef broth are quite similar to those of the cabbage- worm 
