I9I3] I- K. Phelps 83 



ment Station, Arnes.) A comparison of some of the polyatomic 

 alcohols occurring in nature was undertaken in order to determine 

 the degree of their utilization by molds as sole sources of carbon. 

 The alcohols used were methyl alcohol, glycol, glycerol, erythrite, 

 adonite, mannite, dulcite and sorbite. Eight species of molds rep- 

 resenting four genera were cultivated in media containing these 

 alcohols. It was found that methyl alcohol produced no growth, 

 glycol induced germination only, glycerol produced strong cultures, 

 erythrite was utilized by the majority of molds and adonite by only 

 a few, while all three of the hexatomic alcohols may be regarded as 

 good sources of carbon. These results indicate that molds are able 

 to use both optically active and inactive Compounds as sources of 

 carbon. If viewed from the Standpoint of their oxidation products, 

 it is possible that active Compounds are first formed and these are 

 then utilized in the development of the molds. 



Cleavage of benzoylalanine by mold enzymes. Arthur W. 

 Dox and W. E. Ruth. {Chemical Section of the Iowa Agricul- 

 tural Experiment Station, Arnes.) See page 23. 



Influence of certain organic substances upon the secretion 

 of diastase by various fungi. Christine Chapman and W. C. 

 Etheridge. (Laboratory of Plant Physiology, State College of 

 Agricultnre, Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y.) In this work the 

 influence of varying concentration of cane sugar, glucose, peptone 

 and tannic acid upon the secretion of diastase by Aspergillus niger, 

 Aspergillus oryzae, Penicillium expansum, Penicillium camembertii, 

 Mucor Rouxii and Cephalothecimn roseum has been investigated. 

 Czapek's Solution was employed with the sugar replaced by 0.4 per- 

 cent soluble starch. To this was added the substance whose influ- 

 ence was to be determined. It was found in general that the pres- 

 ence of any of these organic substances retarded the secretion of 

 diastase by the fungi mentioned. The higher the concentration the 

 greater the retardation. 



A method for studying slight degrees of glycosuria, adapted 

 from Macleod and S. R. Benedict. Amos W. Peters and Mary 

 E. Turnbull. (Biochemical Laboratory, Training School for 

 Feeble-minded Children, Vineland, N. J.) Urine is clarified by 

 the method of Macleod, i. e., urine + concentrated acetic acid + 



