Protascus color ans, a new genus and a new species of the Protoascmeae-grouY) 157 
having kept the grains and the mould in much too damp surroundings. 
It appears that the infection progressed most favourably when I let the 
grains dry slowly. Only under these circumstances did pigment-forming 
occur, and coupled with it, the diffusion within the endosperm 
Pigment forming is a phenomenon of the withering away of the 
Protascus. The explanation therefore must be in this way only, why it 
is so exceptionally difficult to rear the mould from the “yellow grains“ 
themselves. I have so tediously experimented on a vast number of yellow 
grains, yet only in four cases have I been able to isolate the Protascus , 
although the mycelium is to be found throughout the whole endosperm. 
It is therefore highly probable that she mould continues to die off, after 
to have formed the pigment as a phenomenon of decay. It is truly in 
any case a pathological phenomenon. 
This fact gives the explanation of the appearence df “yellow grains“ 
in brooding rice, and how the possibility could arise of a brooding- 
theory. By the high temperatures of the brooding rice, the Protascus 
deceases gradually, in which stage, as we have mentioned above, the for¬ 
ming of a yellow pigment takes place. The yellow pigment is the sweats 
of death of the Protascus colorans. 
5. 
The simplest way of preventing the occurrence of yellow grains 
is to keep the heaped up rice absolutely dry. In this way, of course, 
infection is not to prevent, yet in every case there is no advance and yellow 
grains are not found. It is of course safest to sterilize or disinfect the 
rice, and then keep it absolutely dry. Yet the difficulty lies not so much 
in making it dry as indeed in keeping it dry. The mould can deve¬ 
lop in the very least degree of dampness. If then we do not take care 
that the rice remains absolutely dry, then we have in the end always 
a chance that is may be infectet by Protascus , which can manifests itself 
in the forming of “yellow grains“. But to keep the rice absolutely 
dry is then very difficult, because the rice at once becomes a place of 
refuge to harbour all sorts of insects, the water-vapour of which set free 
by their respiration is sufficient to bring the rice into so damp a condition 
that infection by Prolascus colorans may manifest itself by produciny 
“yellow grains“. Thus the production of yellow grains in rice can only be 
combatted by first desinfect the rice, and afterwards storing it in an 
absolutely dry condition, and moreover in such a way that no in¬ 
sects may have access to it. I take it as a matter of course that all 
precautions are taken to prevent the rain gatting at it. In very damp 
regions repeated drying is absolutely necessary. 
Buitenzorg, July 1913. 
Explanation of plate. 
Protascus colorans nov. gen. et spec. — A sei and ascospores. 
Fig. 1. Mycelium with young a sei at the top of the mould-threads. 
Fig. 2. A sei with dark coloured ascospores. 
Fig. 3. Spores with septa (asci with multicellular ascospores). 
Fig. 4. Primary beginning of asci-forming. 
Fig. 5. Asci with out-growths, intercallary habitus (see explanation p. 156). 
Fig. 6. Asci, stages leading up to the spore-forming. 
