140 STUDIES ON FERMENTATION'. 



formation of alcoliol and liberation of carbonic acid gas; in 

 short, all the ordinary signs of alcoholic fermentation. 



The principal difference in the case of mucor consists in this, 

 that the vegetation of this latter, under the conditions of 

 insufficient aeration or none at all, is more decided, both as to 

 extent and duration. 



It may be thought that all the varieties of mucor are capable 

 of yielding the kind of ferment that we have just mentioned. 

 But this is not the case ; and here we have another striking 

 proof of the great physiological differences presented by forms 

 of vegetation so intimately connected with each other that, in 

 botanical classifications, they must be put as closel}' as possible 

 together. Of this fact we have the most striking example in 

 mycoderma vhn and the alcoholic ferments, properly so called, 

 which so closely resemble each other in form and development 

 that they might be supposed to be identical, at least, according 

 to our present knowledge, but which differ so widely in their 

 physiological aspects. 



On November 17th, 1873, we found a very beautiful specimen 

 oi mucor muceclo on a pear, under a glass bell jar. It was a mass 

 of perfectly straight filaments, simple and isolated, very large 

 in comparison with those ordinarily met with, each terminating 

 in a sporange, identical to that of mucor mucedo, and proportion- 

 ately well developed. We are able to distinguish mucor 

 racemosns from mucor mucedo only by the circumstance of its 

 having on its sporange-bearing hypha) lateral branches which 

 also terminate in sporanges. 



We sowed only one of the terminal heads of the large erect 

 hyphae in some wort, in which it soon produced an abundant 

 mycelium, but without the least appearance of gas. For a very 

 long time, up to January 7th, 1875, we studied the developments 

 of this organism, which remained all the time perfect!}' pure, in 

 consequence of our having cultivated it in one of our two-necked 

 flasks on pure wort. 



The total volume of liquid, which was 130 c.c, (4"57 fl. oz.) 

 contained 2"3 grammes (35-3 grains) of alcohol. In spite of 



