666 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
Saccharomyces membransefaciens.* — Dr. J. Koehler isolated from 
dirty well water a yeast which he identified as Saccharomyces membranse- 
faciens Hansen. The fact is interesting, inasmuch as hitherto this 
organism had been lighted on only once before, and that by its dis- 
coverer. Flasks of sterile beer-wort inoculated by Hansen’s method with 
a drop of the water were incubated at 25°, and after two days a delicate 
whitish-grey scum formed on the surface. This scum was composed of 
much-branched hyphae, amongst which were imbedded yeast-like cells, 
mostly elliptical, often elongated, and but rarely round ; these were 
aggregated partly into irregular heaps, partly arranged in long chains. 
The majority of the yeast-cells contained small strongly refracting 
aseospores. 
The observation previously made by Hansen that there was consider- 
able difference between the superficial and the deep-lying colonies when 
cultivated on wort-gelatin or pepton-gelatin plates was confirmed. In 
the former the gelatin becomes slightly liquefied, the colony sinking 
down and assuming a reddish-yellow hue. On pepton-gelatin this 
Saccharomycete grows badly, and its development in liquid media is only 
pronounced when they contain carbohydrates. This is interesting, in- 
asmuch as the organism is unable to ferment dextrose, lactose, maltose, 
or saccharose, or to invert saccharose. This was confirmed by fermen- 
tation experiments, for which purpose sterile solutions containing known 
quantities of dextrose or saccharose were infected with the fungus and 
incubated at 25°. After seven days the solutions, which were covered 
with a thick scum of S. membransefaciens , were found to contain the 
same quantity of sugar as had been added (polarization). No alcohol 
was detected by the iodoform test. The scum developes best on beer 
wort, next on sugar or starch solution, but not at all on media devoid of 
carbohydrates. In the rapidity with which the scum forms on wort, 
S. membransefaciens is only exceeded by Mycoderma cerevisise. 
The author determined by Hansen’s method that at 25° spores were 
formed in forty- one hours, at 9° in ten days. 
Red Barley, f — Herr K. Klein has investigated the fungus which 
causes red spots or streaks in barley, — a species of Fusarium . The red 
pigment is contained in the cells themselves. The conids are sickle- 
shaped and may be either uni- or multicellular. Free oxygen is indis- 
pensable for the formation of the conids, but not for their germination. 
Gemmae are formed, especially when the conids do not develope fully ; 
and the middle cell of a multicellular conid may develope into a resting- 
spore. The author did not find these reproductive forms to be capable 
of causing fermentation. 
Histology of the Uredineae.J — MM. P. A. Dangeard and Sapin- 
Trouffy contest the statement that the mycele of the Uredineae is com- 
posed of typical uninucleated cells. The number of nuclei in each cell 
is seldom less than two, and it very commonly exceeds that number. A 
* Mittlieil. Oesterr. Versuchs-Station f. Brauerei u. Malzerei in Wien, v. (1892). 
See Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., xiii. (1893) pp. 131-2. 
t Mittheil. Oesterr. Vers.-Stat. f. Brauerei u. Malzerei in Wien, v. (1892). 
See Bot. Centralbl., liii. (1893) p. 42. 
t Comptes Rendus, cxvi. (1893) pp. 211-3, 267-9, 1304-6, and Le Botaniste 
(Dangeard), iii. (1893), pp. 119-25. 
