50 CLASSIFICATION OF BACTERIA 



name should in general give some indication of the appearance, the 

 characters, the origin, the history or the properties of the species. 

 If taken from the name of a person it usually recalls the name of the 

 one who discovered or described it, or was in some way concerned 

 with it. 



Chapter III, Section 3, Record x. "Specific names begin with a 

 small letter except those which are taken from names of persons 

 (substantives or adjectives) or those which are taken from generic 

 names (substantives or adjectives)." 



The classification suggested by the Committee of the Society 

 of American Bacteriologists has many points of merit to the agri- 

 cultural bacteriologist. The classification in brief is as follows: 



THE CLASS SCHIZOMYCETES. 



Minute, one-celled chlorophyll-free, colorless, rarely violet-red or 

 green-colored plants, which typically multiply by dividing in one, 

 two, or three directions of space. The cells thus formed are usually 

 spherical, cylindrical, comma-shaped, spiral, or filamentous and are 

 often united into filamentous, flat, or cubical aggregates. Filament- 

 ous species often surrounded by a common sheath. The cell plasma 

 generally homogeneous without a morphologically differentiated 

 nucleus. Reproduction by simple fission. In many species resting 

 bodies are produced, either endospores or gonidia. Cells may be 

 motile by means of flagella. 



A. Order Myxobacteriales. Cells united during the vegetative 

 stage into a pseudoplasmodium which passes over into a highly- 

 developed cyst-producing resting stage. 



B. Order Thiobacteriales. Cells free or united in elongated fila- 

 ments. Typically water forms, not cultivable on ordinary media. 

 Life energy derived mainly from oxidative processes. Cells typi- 

 cally containing either granules of free sulfur or bacteriopurpurin 

 or both, usually growing best in the presence of hydrogen sulphid. 



C. Order Chlamydobacteriales. Cells normally united in elongated 

 filaments, often showing false but never true branching. Typically 

 water forms. Sulphur and bacteriopurpurin are absent. Iron often 

 present and usually a well-marked sheath. 



D. Order Actinomycetales. Cells usually elongated, frequently 

 filamentous and with a decided tendency to the development of 

 branches, in some genera giving rise to the formation of a definite 

 branched mycelium. Cells frequently show swellings, clubbed, or 

 irregular shapes. No pseudoplasmodium. No deposits of free sul- 

 phur or iron. No bacteriopurpurin. Endospores not produced, but 

 conidia developed in some genera. Usually Gram-positive. Non- 

 motile. Some species are parasitic in animals or plants. Not 

 water forms. Complex proteins frequently required. As a rule 



