102 



from Aspergillus Oryzce. What then will be the origin of our yeast- 

 cells ? This is the question which I think I may answer in the fol- 

 lowing lines. 1) 



Eice-plants in our fields are attacked every year by a fungus which 

 is known under the Japanese name of " Inekoji " and which has been 

 commonly taken to correspond to Ustilago virens Cooke but which is, 

 according to my opinion, to be placed rightly among the genus Sphacelo- 

 theca. 2) It forms an abundant quantity of olivaceous green spores in 

 the ears of hosts. On cultivating this fungus from its spores, I was 

 struck by the fact that they, on germinating, do not grow into the 

 mycelium but give rise to a conidium, which multiplies abundantly 

 by budding like common beer-yeast. 



These yeast-cells have been proved by my investigations to be 

 identical with those found in " tanekoji " used in sake-brewery. 

 Their identity is to be seen from the following : — 



(1) Our yeast-cells are 0,004 p. — 0,005 p in diameter and when culti- 

 vated for a long time in a nutrient medium, 3) they grow to the 

 diameter of 0,008 p. Those yeast-cells directly taken from " tane- 

 koji" and " sake-no-kasu " behave in an entirely similar manner 

 in this respect : they are 0,004 p — 0,005 p in diameter and on 

 cultivation grow to the diameter of 0,008 p. 



(2) On cultivation, they both form colonies which have no lustre, are 

 round, sharp in outline, and rise themselves above the surface of 

 the nutrient medium. 



(3) Our yeast-cells have the power of setting up alcoholic fermenta- 

 tion and the percentage of alcohol thus produced may amount to 

 9% , which is similar to that in the sake made by the fermentation 

 by " moto "-liquid of sake-brewery. 



(4) Our yeast-cells as well as yeast of " tanekoji " coincide in the fact 

 that both have the power of setting up fermentation on maltose, 

 saccharose, levulose, dextrose, but not on lactose. 



D Details will be soon published in the " Bulletin " of our College. 



2 J The Botanical Magazine, Vol. X, No. 110, Part II, p. 29. 



3 J I have used the following thirteen kinds of nutrient media, namely : (a) Pasteur's 

 solution ; (b) the mixture consisting of 1% meat extract, \% peptone and 10% glucose or 

 cane-sugar ; (c) extract of manured soil ; <d) decoctions of oat straw ; (e) decoctions of potato, 

 (/) decoctions of horsedung ; (g) decoctions of compost ; (h) common well-water ; (i) distilled 

 water ; (k) decoctions of berries of white Diospyros ; (I) boiled rice ; (m) boiled potato ; (n) 

 decoctions of Japanese plums, either acid or neutral. 



