Jan. 1908.] SAITO—FORMOSAN FERMENTATION OEGANISMS. 7 



(h) Invertase. 50 c.c. of 5^^ cane sugar solution was mixed 

 with 5 c.c. of the enzyme solution and allowed to stand for 24 

 hours in the laboratory, of course care being taken as regards 

 the aseptic state of the mixture. No inversion of cane sugar 

 took place, and it had no greater reducing action on Fehling's 

 solution, than had the control solution. 



The absence of invertase in this fungus was verified moreover 

 by Lindnp:r's fermentation test.'^ It was proceeded with in the 

 following way : — 



As in the sugar solution cultivated with this fungus a weak 

 alcoholic fermentation occurs, I have examined whether car- 

 l)onic anhydride is produced or not in tl:e closed cavity of 

 hollow slide containing an aqueous solution of carbohydrate 

 and a small piece of dissected fresh mycelium. The result is 

 here tabulated as follows : ( + denotes the occurrence of gas 

 production, and — the absence of it). 



From the preceding table we see that the fungus can fer- 

 ment dextrose, levulose, maltose and dextrin, whereas it does 

 not act on the other carbohydrates examined. While this ex- 

 periment assures us that the species does not secrete invertase, 

 it leads us at the same time to infer the presence of maltase. 



iJ Mikroskopische Belriebskontrolle in den Gahrungsgewerbcn, vit'ite Aiiflage, 1906, 

 p. 230. 



