162 GENERAL SYSTEMATIC BACTERIOLOGY 



in radiating rays, and the branched appearance of the rays. Later 

 (1914, p. 99) he mentions the creation of the generic name. 



It would seem that the prior use of Actinococcus for a genus of algae 

 would invalidate its use for a genus of bacteria. 



Actinomyce. A generic name proposed by Meyen (1827, p. 442) for 

 a fungus species Actinomyce Horkelii. The genus was placed in the new 

 group Hydrotremellinae. The generic description follows: 



Sporodochia, cellulis hyalinis simplicibus, enormiter et multipliciter ramifi- 

 cantibus sporis impletis, substantiae uniformi gelatinosa hyalina induta. 



This generic name is of importance in bacteriology only because it 

 was given prior to the use of Actinomyces by Harz for an entirely dis- 

 tinct organism. In many references the spelling is made identical, 

 but it will be noted that there is a difference. For example Streinz 

 (1862, p. 3) in his "Nomenclator fungonim" writes "Actinomyce Meyen 

 (Strahlenpilz) eine neue Pilzgattung." 



Perroncito (1879, p. 35), Musgrave, Clegg and Polk (1908, p. 458), 

 Merrill and Wade (1919, p. 65), Chalmers and Christopherson (1916, 

 p. 227) and others have urged that this use precludes the validity of 

 Actinomijces Harz, q.v. 



It is probable that Actinomyce Meyen should not render invalid 

 Actinomyces for the following reasons: 



1. The spellings are different. The botanical code expressly provides 

 that names differing only by a single letter may both be valid if both 

 do not come within the same family, and are not likely to give rise to 

 confusion. 



2. No other author apparently has used Actinomyce Meyen, and it 

 may be said to be "universally regarded as invalid." 



Actinomyces. The generic name Actinomyce was used by Meyen 

 (1827, p. 442) for a genus of fungi belonging to the Hydrotremellinae 

 Meyen, with one species A. Horkelii Meyen. For reasons why this 

 should not be regarded as invalidating the subsequent use of Actino- 

 myces, see Actinomyce. 



In 1877 the name Actinomyces was applied to a genus of thread 

 bacteria by Harz (1877, p. 125). The material containing the organism 

 was sent to Harz by Bollinger. It consisted of granules secured from 

 pus from cattle affected by "lumpy jaw." The granules were found to 

 consist of slender filaments, irregularly branched, radiating from the 

 center, and with the ends of the filaments in the form of refractive 

 swellings. The name Actinomyces bovis was given it. 



