THE MOULD-FUNGI. 115 



a cane-sugar solution ; the others are consequently unable to 

 bring about fermentation in a solution of this sugar. 



The most active fermentative power is possessed by Mucor 

 trectus. In beer- wort of ordinary concentration 14 to 15 

 Balling it yields up to 8 per cent, by volume of alcohol. 

 It also induces alcoholic fermentation in dextrin solutions, and 

 converts starch into reducing sugar. Mucor spinosus yields up 

 to 5*5 per cent, by volume of alcohol in beer- wort. In 

 maltose solutions distinct fermentation phenomena were 

 observed, and after the lapse of eight months the liquid 

 contained 3 -4 per cent, by volume of alcohol. Mucor Mucedo 

 has only a comparatively feeble fermentative power both in 

 wort (up to 3 per cent, by volume of alcohol) and in maltose 

 and dextrose solutions. Mucor racemosus produces in wort 

 as much as 7 per cent, by volume of alcohol, develops inver- 

 tase, and ferments the inverted cane-sugar ; thus, as mentioned 

 above, it occupies a unique position. 



Mucor circinclloides, according to GAYON, is without action 

 on cane-sugar, whilst it exercises a very powerful action on 

 invert-sugar (yielding 5*5 per cent, by volume of alcohol). 

 GAYON concluded that this mould might with advantage be 

 employed to extract cane-sugar from molasses in the manu- 

 facture of sugar. However, so far as the author has been able 

 to learn, this observation has not yet received any practical 

 application. 



Another fungus belonging to this group is Mucor Amy- 

 lomyccs Eouxii described by CALMETTE and EIJKMAN, which 

 occurs in so-called " Chinese yeast " in the form of small 

 white-grey cakes, consisting of rice-corns kneaded together with 

 different sorts of spice. These cakes are pulverised and mixed 

 with boiled rice, which is soon covered with a web of the 

 mould's white mycelium ; by slow degrees the rice is converted 

 into a yellowish liquid, which contains glucose, produced by the 

 vigorous diastatic ferment of the fungus. The latter, like 

 the other Mucor species, also possesses an alcoholic ferment. 



The Chlamydomucor Oryzce described by WENT and PRINSEN 

 GEERLIGS, which may be identical with the previous species, 

 contains similar diastatic ferments. It is used in Java in the 

 fermentation of arrack. 



