112 STUDIES 0>; FERMENTATION. 



to transform itself into one or other of those common fungoid 

 growths. The liquid, moreover, still remained sweet, and did 

 not contain any cells of actual yeast. We may conclude then 

 that when one or more of these fungi occur, after an interval of 

 some days, in a growth of mycoderma vini conducted in contact 

 with common air, it does so in consequence of that air having, 

 without the knowledge of the observer, impregnated the liquid 

 spontaneously with germs of these foreign organisms. 



There might perhaps be room for some fear that the conditions 

 of growth in our flasks were not favourable to the simultaneous 

 appearance of these common fungoid growths along with the mt/- 

 coderma vini. On June 24th, 1872, we sowed, in three flasks of 

 sugared yeast- water, prepared as before — in the first, mycoderma 

 vini, together with. jJeniciUium glaucum ; inihQ&QConA, mycoderma 

 vini, together with mucor mucedo ; in the third, mycoderma vini 

 alone. 



We efiected this by plunging the platinum wire, which we 

 used for impregnating the liquids, into the pure film of 

 mycoderma vini, and then touching with the wire the sporanges 

 of the other fungus. On June 29th, we saw on the surface 

 of our first flask some green patches of jx'nicillium, along with 

 some spots of mycoderma vini ; in the second flask a voluminous 

 mycelium of mucor mucedo, distended by large bubbles, had 

 risen to the surface of the liquid, and was entirely covered by 

 a film of mycoderma vini. As for the liquid in the third flask, 

 there were only a few spots of very pure mycoderma vini. This 

 last flask, after being kept in an oven at 25° C. (77° F.) for 

 several months, still contained nothing but mycoderma vini, 

 unmixed with any other fungoid growth whatever. 



We may therefore be sure that mycoderma vini, vegetating on 

 the surface of liquids adapted to its nutrition, in contact with 

 air deprived of its germinating dust, will not present the least 

 sign of a transformation into any of these other common fungi, 

 or into yeast, however long may be the duration of its exposure 

 to contact with that pure air. 



AYc may now return to that feeble and limited production of 



