640 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
Microbe of the Tubercles of Leguminosse.* * * § — According to M. E. 
Laurent the bacteroids of the tubercles of LeguminosEe are not endowed 
with any power of motion except a brownian movement. They differ 
from true bacteria in multiplying, not by transverse division but by a 
kind of dichotomous budding which produces structures of the charac- 
teristic T or Y shape. This resembles the mode of multiplication 
described by Metschnikoff in Pasteuria ramosa , a parasite on Daphnis ; 
and M. Laurent proposes to unite these into a new group Pasteuriace.®, 
intermediate between true bacteria and the lower filamentous fungi. 
Colouring-matter of certain Schizomycetes.t — Following up his 
observations on the occurrence of a true lipochrome in certain Bacteri- 
aceas — Micrococcus rhodochrous , M. Erythromyxa , and Bacterium Chryso- 
gloia — Herr W. Zopf states that the oily colouring-matter is excreted by 
the organism when in a living condition. There is, however, a notable 
distinction between the red pigment of the first two, and the yellow 
pigment of the last ; while the former forms well-defined crystals, the 
crystalline character of the latter is very obscure. Herr Zopf proposes 
to remove Micrococcus rhodochrous and Erythromyxa from the subgenus 
Staphylococcus , and to found on them a new subgenus of Micrococcus , 
which he proposes to call Bhodococcus. 
A Red-Pigment-forming Organism.:]: — Mr. C. Slater gives with a 
query the name of B. corallinus to a red-pigment-forming organism 
which differs from any of those already known. It occurred as a coral- 
red, slow-growing, circular, non-liquefactive colony on a gelatin plate, 
and was probably due to an air-contamination. The colony consisted 
of short, thick bacilli, with very rounded ends ; their breadth was 
almost constantly 1 /x, and the average length from 2 to 3 /x. The 
organism has a rolling, recurving motion, with, generally, but slow 
motion of translation. The most noticeable characteristic is the highly 
refringent nature of the poles of the cells ; growth occurs easily on 
gelatin-peptone ; the organism is distinctly aerobic. The optimum 
temperature for growth is between 20° and 23°. The pigment is 
largely contained in the cells and is not an excretion ; it cannot be 
extracted till first liberated by the disruption of the cells by boiling ; it 
then dissolves easily in alcohol and chloroform, though not in ether. 
No absorption-bands were detected. Pigment is produced in darkness 
as well as in diffused light. Growth by fission was observed. A com- 
parative table is given to show the differences exhibited by six pigment- 
producing bacteria. 
Phosphorescent Bacteria.§ — Dr. 0. Katz communicates at consider- 
able length an account of the six species of light-developing bacteria 
previously described by him in the Transactions of the Linnman 
Society N.S.W.I) Except to remark that the micro-organisms referred 
to are now discussed in greater detail the present paper does not demand 
further notice. 
* Comptes Kendus, cxi. (1890) pp. 754-6. Cf. this Journal, 1890, p. 372. 
t Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Gesell., ix. (1891) pp. 22-8 (1 fig.). Cf. this Journal, 1889, p. 560. 
t Quart. Journ. Micr. Sci., xxxii. (1891) pp. 409-16 (1 pi.). 
§ Centralbl. f. Bakteriol, u. Parasitenk., ix. (1891) Nos. 5 -10. 
|j See this Journal, 1888, p. 101. 
