
CLASSIFICATION OF DAIRY BACTERIA. 33 
whereas the other two have a diameter of .8u anda length of 1.54. In gelatin 
stab culture No. 128 produces a very shallow pit, whereas No. 21 and No. 31 
produce a deeper pit; and, moreover, the liquefied gelatin is not rendered green, 
or only slightly so, by No. 128. The effect of this organism upon the milk is 
also very slight. While the milk is curdled in two or three days, there is little 
or no digestion of the casein; whereas, as shown by the tables, the casein is 
readily digested by Nos. 21 and 31. 
That Nos. 21 and 31 are varieties of the same species seems to me almost 
certain. No. 128 is probably a different variety of the same species, and 
possibly is B. fluorescens minutissimus. (Unna.) 
Nos. <2. wiscosus. (Frankland.) 
Morphology, size, iu by 24, but variable. Showing bi-polar staining. No 
threads are produced, but a capsule is present. No true spores, but the double 
stain gives the appearance of spores. 
Gelatin plate; a small white colony is produced, which sinks into a pit and 
rapidly liquefies the gelatin. The pit has a granular center and aclear rim, 
and grows into a uniformly granular colony witha radiating rim. Onlya slight 
tinge of green. 
Gelatin stab; a narrow funnel is produced, with a thick tenacious scum on 
the surface, with a tendency to crack and wrinkle. The liquid becomes green 
and later yellow and slimy. 
Agar; upon agar there is produced a thin, rough, white, dry skin, which is 
marvelously sticky, almost like glue. The agar becomes slightly green. 
Potato, abundant, brownish yellow growth. 
Milk, the milk is curdled at the room temperature in two days into a soft, 
slimy mass, with no whey, the reaction being alkaline. This becomes rapidly 
digested into a lemon yellow liquid; after the casein is all dissolved, the whole 
liquid is yellow and slimy. ‘The odor is sickish, and the mass is very slimy. 
At 35. there is no digestion. It is further to be noted that after cultivation of 
about four months in the laboratory, this organism ceased to have the power 
of coagulating milk, although it continued to digest the casein at room tempera-’ 
ture. The production of the lemon color also ceased. 
The most distinctive characters of this organism are its 2-polar staining and 
its production of a slime. Experiments were performed with this specie, show- 
_ing that it produced a soluble enzyme. The organism was cultivated in milk 
for some time, and then filtered through porcelain. ‘The filtrate, which con- 
tained no bacteria, was found to have the power of coagulating milk in an 
hour's time at room temperature. From such filtrate an enzyme was isolated, 
as described in a previous publication.* 
This organism appears similar to B, viscosus, (Frankland.) 
Nos. 82 and 90. B. fluorescens non-liquefaciens. 
Nos. 82 and go are without much doubt the same organism, and are probably 
identical with Bacillus fluorescens non-liquefaciens of Fliigge. Slight differ- 
ences led me to recognize two varieties, which appear in the descriptions. The 
organisms are not very common. 
* Cent. f: Bact. u: Par., XII, 1892. 
