10
Scientific Memoirs by
limited number of colonies both superficial and interstitial, arid apparently almost
al l consi sti ng of one speci es of Schi zomycete. The superfi ci al col oni es of
this were of an ochreous tint by transmitted light, had a coarsely granular
texture, and consisted of slightly curved commas. After some time the colonies
struck distinct pink with 33 per cent, nitric acid.
An agar-agar stab-culture, set from one of the colonies within 24 hours,
yielded very abundant superficial and interstitial growth of very short, thick
commas, demilunes and oval cocci, The growth within the course of a few
days struck faint purple with 33 per cent. nitric acid. The continuous series
of sub-cultures, which were carried out from the primary tube, presented the
following characters. They continued throughout to give interstitial as well as
superficial growth, and the former, like that of the second form, derived from the
healthy gold-fish, was frequently accompanied by a conspicuous evolution of
gaseous bubbles into the medium. In other respects, however, it was quite
different, being softly and diffusedly clouded in place of limited and dense. The
constituent elements persistently had the form of large, fairly well curved com
- m a s . T h e s u r f a c e g r o w t h w a s r e l a t i v e l y t h i n a n d o f a d i s t i n c t l y y e l l o w t i n t . Broth cultivations :—Within the course of 24 hours these showed dense
clouding throughout, but, up to 48 hours, were devoid of any pellicle and failed to
show any purple with either sulphuric or nitric acid.
Potato cultures :—These yielded very rapid and abundant growth in the form
of thick, moist expansions, at first of a pure, warm ochre throughout, hut grad
- u a l l y a c q u i r i n g a p i n k i s h t i n t c e n t r a l l y . T h e c o n s t i t u e n t e l e m e n t s h a d t h e f o r m o f
very short, thick, slightly curved commas, and oval and rounded cocci. As is so
often the case with vibrionic organisms, the capacity for growth on potatoes gra
- d u a l l y u n d e r w e n t p r o g r e s s i v e d i m i n u t i o n i n c o n n e c t i o n w i t h c o n t i n u e d c u l t i v a t i o n
in agar-agar media and ultimately was entirely suppressed, so that the only means
of keeping up the stock was by continued transfer from potatoes or by transfer
from agar-agar media which had been relatively recently inoculated from the latter.
d. Species from the intestinal tract of a Cutlah which was found dead in a
tank in the Zoological Garden, Alipur.
Immediately after the occurrence of the first heavy falls of rain in May 1896,
a great inwash of materials from the banks of the large lake in the Zoological
Garden at Alipur took place. A few large Cutlah were found lying dead on the sur
- f a c e o f t h e w a t e r , e s p e c i a l l y a t s i t e s t o w h i c h s u r f a c e d r a i n a g e m a i n l y c o n v e r g e d .
It was at first feared that a general epidemic was about to set in, but only four or
five fish died, and with continued rainfall no further signs of the presence of any
disease manifested themselves.
One of the dead fish was carefully examined, but showed no appreciable
signs of disease and was in . excellent condition and loaded with fat. The
intestinal tract failed to show any abnormal appearances, but a plate inoculated