ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
105 
Luminosity of Cholera Bacilli.* — According to Herr Th. Rumpel, 
the luminosity of a culture of vibrios is no diagnostic criterion for dis- 
tinguishing between the true cholera vibrio and those closely resembling 
it ; for in the fatal case of laboratory cholera (Oergel) the cultures were 
strongly luminous.. 
Phosphorescence of Elbe Vibrios.f — Dr. Kutscher states that the 
phosphorescence of the vibrios kept by him for some years aud originally 
obtained from the Elbe and also from human stools, has up to the 
present in no way diminished. The author makes this statement in 
reply to Hiippe, who recently said that tbe vibrios obtained from him 
(the author) had lost their phosphorescence. It is possible that differ- 
ences in the composition of the cultivation media may account for this 
loss of luminosity. 
Bacteriological and Chemical Examination of Graveyard Soil4 — 
Dr. J. B. Young finds that the soil of graveyards contains as a rule more 
bacteria than virgin soil, the difference being most marked in the deeper 
layers, although the number of bacteria is not so great as one might 
expect. The bacteria are not most numerous immediately surrounding 
the coffin, but at some distance above, while at a short distance below the 
coffin, there is a marked diminution in the number. Liquefying bacteria, 
especially Proteus vulgaris , are very abundant in the soil from the 
immediate vicinity of coffins. 
Burial has little if any effect in increasing the organic matter in the 
upper reaches of the soil, whereas it has a very marked effect on the 
layers containing the coffins, i.e. at depths greater than 4 feet from 
the surface. The organic nitrogen and carbon in graveyard soil are by 
no means so great in amount as is commonly supposed. 
New Nitrate-forming Bacillus. § — Herren R. Burri and A. Stutzer 
have isolated a nitrate-forming bacillus which can be grown on gelatin. 
The organism has certain properties akin to those of the Quito bacillus 
described by Winogradsky, but its special characters are sufficiently 
marked to easily distinguish it. The living rodlet is 0 • 75-1 • 5 p, long and 
0*5 p, thick, stained with phenol-fuchsin 0*5-1 p, long and 0*25-0*33 p, 
broad. Movements were observed in the silicic acid jelly and gelatin 
plate colonies. It can grow on organic nutrient media, gelatin being 
slowly liquefied. The superficial colonies on silicic acid plates are 
colourless to blueish. Deep gelatin colonies are never lenticular in 
shape. Ammonia salts are never converted into nitrous acid salts. It 
oxidises 9 * 3 mg. of nitrite per diem in 20 ccm. of nutrient medium. 
Thus it is distinguished from Winogradsky’s organism by its size, by 
growing on organic nutrient media, and by the colour of the colonies. 
The preparation of the media and the details of the isolation are 
described at some length. 
New Essentially Anaerobic Bacteria. || — Herr~R. Gerstner isolated 
from mud seven species of anaerobic} bacteria, by exposing the original 
* Miinchener Med. Woclieiischr., 1895, No. 3. See Bot. Centralbl., Ixi. (1895) 
p. 398. f Centralbl. fc Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., l te Abt., xviii. (1895) p. 424. 
t Trans. Boy. Soc. Edinburgh, xxxvii. (1895) pp. 759-73. 
§ Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., 2 te Abt., i. (1895) pp. 721-40. 
|| Arb. aus deni BacterioL Inst. d. Techn. Hochsch. zu Karlsruhe, ii. (1895) p. 149 
(2 pis.). See Hedwigia, xxxiv. (1895) Rep., pp. 71-2. 
