α-Mannosidase is present in bovine milk and is associated with the β-casein fraction following polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. It was separated from the casein complex by ammonium sulfate precipitation in the presence of 10% (v/v) ethanol. Zinc or manganese ions are required for maximum activity and the enzyme is very labile. The optimum pH for the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl α-mannoside is about 3. In the presence of amino acid buffers the enzyme is inhibited. For dibasic amino acids this inhibition is inversely related to the [Formula: see text] of the amino acid and is apparently due to inhibition by zwitterions. High concentrations of the substrate p-nitrophenyl α-mannoside are inhibitory, and the apparent Km for this hydrolysis is 1.2 mM.