400 TOEULACE^E. 



Very low temperatures are also withstood well, Meissner's 

 mucinous yeasts, for example, being found alive after exposure 

 to - 22 0. for eight hours. 



Several species will also stand desiccation, a fact already 

 reported by PASTEUR (XXVII.), who was able to convert his 

 Torula forms into the dry state without loss of their powers of 

 development. Meissner's mucinous yeasts were more susceptible, 

 however, dying after five days' desiccation in the air. Harrison's 

 Torula amara perished almost as quickly, in the dried state, at 

 temperatures between 15 and 5 0., and Bochicchio's Lactomyces 

 inflans caseigrana at 35 0. 



Direct insolation had no destructive influence on Meissner's 

 mucinous yeasts. 



Considerable longevity is exhibited in liquids by some species, 

 as in the case of the Saccharomycetes. HANSEN (LI.) found living 

 cells, capable of development, in cultures stored for sixteen years 

 in a 10 per cent, solution of saccharose. In beer wort, some of 

 the species perished in less than a year, whereas others were still 

 living at the end of eight years. The mucinous yeasts found by 

 WORTMANN (XVII.) in twenty- and thirty-year old wines (see 

 p. 242, vol. ii.), exhibited great longevity. 



So far as our knowledge goes at present, the Torulacece do not 

 seem to be of any practical utility to man, or to play any 

 important role in the economy of nature, though a number of 

 species are capable of producing objectionable effects in the 

 dairying and fermentation industries. A number of problems 

 in which the action of Torulacece is concerned are still awaiting 

 solution; and certain pathogenic budding fungi described by 

 physicians belong to the Torulacece, though they need not be 

 taken into consideration here. 



According to the researches of BAIL (I.), it is highly probable 

 that certain Torulacece are causatively connected with the decay 

 of many plants. The constant and abundant occurrence of 

 budding fungi, also belonging to this group, in the excreted 

 juices of preserved food-stuffs e.g., in herring pickle, the aqueous 

 liquid of sauerkraut, and other food-stuffs and delicacies prepared 

 in a similar manner by processes of fermentation has raised the 

 question whether these organisms are of importance in the pre- 

 paration of the desired products or not ; but no decision has yet 

 been arrived at on this point. 



A certain amount of importance attaches to several species 

 in connection with the fermentation industries especially in the 

 preparation of beer and wine on account of the maladies they 

 give rise to in the products, in which they are able to reproduce 

 themselves and live. The flavour of beer, for example, is greatly 

 influenced in this way. The formation of aromatic products, 

 exhibiting the flavour and smell of apples, seems to be a property 

 of many Torulacece. It has often been asserted that the presence 



