SACCHAROMYCES. 359 



Saceharomyces Sake Yabe. 



Y. Kozai has published the following conclusions regarding 

 this yeast fungus. He discovered it in Koji, and has utilised 

 it with success in a pure condition for the preparation of 

 Sake. The cells are chiefly round, and form no large budding 

 colonies. In older cultures giant cells occur. Indications of 

 spores occur within 36 hours at 40 to 41 C. (maximum 

 temperature), in 14 hours at 30 to 32 C. (optimum tempera- 

 ture), and in 15 days at 3 to 4 C. (minimum temperature). 

 The spores (usually from one to three in each cell) are strongly 

 refractive. It ferments with ease saccharose, maltose, d- 

 mannose, d-fructose, glucose, and methyl-glucoside, and with 

 greater difficulty trehalose and d-galactose, but not rhamnose 

 nor lactose. It splits up melitriose into melibiose and fructose, 

 but it cannot hydrolyse melibiose. K. Yabe's investigations 

 proved that rice straw is the source of the yeast, a straw used 

 for the preparation of mats which serve to cover up the Koji. 



Saceharomyces Batatae Saito. 



K. Saito has described a Saccharomycetes which is of 

 importance in the preparation of a yam brandy, as it is pre- 

 pared on one of the Japanese islands. The species is found 

 in fermenting mash (moromi) prepared from Koji and steamed 

 yams, and is the most active organism in promoting alcoholic 

 fermentation. The cells are oval and elliptical, and Pastor i- 

 anus forms often occur in the film. Indications of spores occur 

 in twenty hours at 25 C. The spores are round, strongly 

 refractive, and usually occur two to three in each cell. In 

 ordinary beer-wort 3 per cent, by volume of alcohol was 

 produced in ten days at 25 C. 



Dextrose, laevulose, saccharose, and maltose are easily 

 fermented ; galactose and raffinose with difficulty ; and meli- 

 biose, lactose, inulin, and d-methylglucoside are not fermented. 



Saceharomyces cartilaginosus Lindner 



was discovered by Matthes in Kephir. The cells are oval or 

 elongated, with curious granular protoplasm. A true film- 

 formation does not take place. On the other hand, at the 



