GENERAL SYSTEMATIC BACTERIOLOGY 19 1 



Buchanan (1915, p. 5) discussed at length the use of the name by 

 Winslow and Rogers. It is probable that Migula's conclusion that 

 Cohn's Ascococcus is a growth form of a Micrococcus is correct. The 

 species A. Billrothii Cohn has never been certainly recognized since 

 described. The status of the genus is quite uncertain. Its type is 



A. Billrothii Cohn. 



Ascokokkus. A variant of Ascococcus. 



Askokokkus. A variant spelling of Ascococcus Cohn used by Hueppe 

 (1886, p. 145). He includes this as an "Untergattung" of his "Arthro- 

 Kokkaceen." 



This spelling has been used not infrequently by German writers. 



Astasia. This name was first applied to a protozoan genus bj' 

 Ehrenberg. In this sense it is also given by Perty (1852, p. 167). 

 More recently the same word has been used as a generic name by 

 Meyer (1897, p. 185) for a new species of rod-shaped bacteria, Astasia 

 asterospora. Two characteristics of the organism as described by Meyer 

 differentiated it from other genera. The spore is barrel-shaped, ribbed 

 longitudinally, and with a well differentiated extine and intine; the 

 flagella are produced in bunches, laterally. The original description 

 was later modified (1898, p. 49). Migula (1900, p. 528) regards Astasia 

 as a synonym of Bacillus and writes Bacillus asterosporus (IMeyer) 

 Mig. The organism is described by Migula as a motile rod, usually 

 single, seldom in short chains, 1 to 1 . 3/i thick, 3 to 6/x long, becoming 

 motionless before spore formation. Spores ovoid, with longitudinal 

 striae, star-shaped in cross section, with polar germination. Flagella 

 distributed over the entire body. On sterilized beet slices it develops 

 as a gray, glassy, gelatinous layer, which spreads so that after five days 

 the slice is covered with a thin gelatinous layer, finally showing gas 

 bubbles. The middle lamellae of the beet are dissolved so that the 

 medium becomes soft. Spores are found after five days, in addition 

 to resting and swarming rods. In dextrose gelatin rapid liquefaction 

 occurs, with some gas bubbles. It grows in nutrient solution, causing 

 a decided clouding. IMigula groups this organism with Bacillus subtilis, 



B. ramosus, etc. The cultural characteristics with the exception of gas 

 production seem to relate it quite definitely to these forms. 



Buchanan (1918, p. 38) used this name as a subgeneric designation 

 under the genus Bacillus, with the description "Motile rods, spores 

 ovoid with longitudinal stripes, star shaped in cross section." The 

 type is designated as Bacillus (Astasia) asterospora (Meyer) jMigula. 



Asterococcus. A generic name proposed by Borrel, Dujardin- 

 Beaumetz, Jeantet and Jouan (1910, p. 179) for the organism causing 



