Bacteria and Viruses 29 



Rule 5. Sect. 1. Naming of Taxa 



not allowable; the use of the plural, it is contended, is therefore 

 inadmissible. However, the plurals of generic names have been, and 

 are being, used by nomenclators. Such use has been commonly ac- 

 cepted. The argument for such use may be phrased as follows. Each 

 species has a name made vip of two words, the name of the genus 

 followed by a specific epithet. If it is permissible to write "this 

 Salmonella" meaning a representative of a species of the genus 

 Salmonella, similarly it should be permissible to write Salmonellae for 

 two or more species or strains belonging in the genus Salmonella. 

 This use is well established with the meaning "species of" or "ex- 

 ample of" or "members of" the genus Salmonella. 



Sometimes a generic name in the singular form is used incorrectly 

 with a plural meaning; for example, in the statement "Salmonella 

 are abundant in sewage." The argument for this usage is that there 

 are many species of Salmonella, hence this generic name may be re- 

 garded as a collective noun, as the word "committee" in English, 

 and hence may be used either in a plural or singular sense. The 

 argument is questionable. There is no warrant for the use of the 

 singular form of a generic name in the sense of "the several species 

 of the genus Salmonella" or "strains of the genus Salmonella." 



Is it advisable that generic names be accepted in modern lan- 

 guages and the spelling and usage be made to conform to the ver- 

 nacular? 



Two recommendations of the Botanical Code are pertinent: 



When writing in modern languages botanists should use Latin sci- 

 entific names or those immediately derived from them in preference 

 to names of another kind or origin (popular names) . They should 

 avoid the use of the latter unless these are very clear and in com- 

 mon use. 



Every friend of science should oppose the introduction into a 

 modern language of names of plants which are not already there, 

 unless they are derived from Latin botanical names by means of 

 some slight alteration. 



When a generic name is used repeatedly in general or nontaxonomic 

 publications, custom has permitted, in fact, encouraged, the use of the 

 vernacular version of the name. In English the use of the same 

 spelling is ustially advisable, but without capitalization and without 

 italicizing. One has the choice of use of the vernacular or the Latin 

 plural endings. The latter are often preferable to avoid unsatisfactory 

 use of plurals ending in -s when the Latin name ends in -s. Certainly 

 "lactobacilli" is a preferred spelling, but one may use "salmonellas" 

 or "salmonellae." 



Orthography of generic names. Annotations relative to formation 

 of generic names will be found under Section 7 (Orthography and 

 Gender of Names, Rule 27) and in the several appendices. 



