Bacteria and Viruses 5 



General Consideration 2. 



GENERAL CONSIDERATION 2. The precepts on which this system of bac- 

 teriological and viral nomenclature is based are divided into Principles, 

 Rules and Recommendations. 



Principles (Chapter 2) form the basis of the rules and recommendations. 

 Rules (Chapter 3) are designed 



(a) to make effective the principles given in Chapter 2, 



(b) to put the nomenclature of the past in order, and 



(c) to provide for the nomenclature of the future. 



The rules in general are retroactive; names or forms of nomenclature con- 

 trary tc a rule (illegitimate names or forms) cannot be maintained. Certain 

 rules authorize appendices and define their scope and authority. 

 Recommendations deal with subsidiary points, their object being to bring 

 about greater uniformity and clearness, especially in future nomenclature; 

 names or forms contrary to a recommendation cannot on that account be 

 rejected, but they are meant to prevent a repetition of undesirable pro- 

 cedures of the past. Recommendations are appended to the rules which they 

 supplement. Notes attached to rules or recommendations are intended to be 

 explanatory or illustrative and have the same force as the rules or recom- 

 mendations to which they are appended. 



ANNOTATIONS 



General Consideration 2. The Principles may be regarded in a 

 sense as the constitutional background of the rules, recoynynendations, 

 notes, appendices, lists, etc. They are not rules, but may be useful 

 in interpretation, helpful in promoting a better understanding 

 of the rules, and in the solution of problems not covered specifically 

 by them. In theory at least there should be no conflict between the 

 rules and the principles. 



The Rules are the laws which determine the correctness of names 

 which have been given in the past and constitute a guide to the 

 giving of new names. The corresponding rule of the Botanical Code 

 reads in part: 



They are always retroactive except when expressly limited. 



The Appendices supplement the rules. In them are listed 

 Opinions and various groups of conserved and rejected names; they 

 also include discussions and material too lengthy for convenient in- 

 corporation directly into the rules or the recommendations. 



The Recot7i7ne77dations include the directives of good usage. 

 Authors show good taste and judgment when they propose names 

 that conform to recommendations. In some cases the Bacteriological 

 Code authorizes the correction of names which do not conform to a 

 particular recommendation. However, the provision that non-con- 

 formity to a recommendation is not sufficient cause for rejection of 

 a name should be emphasized. 



The Botanical and Bacteriological Codes are in essential agree- 

 ment in their definitions of Principles, Rules and Recommendations. 



