378 GENERAL SYSTEMATIC BACTERIOLOGY 



descriptions of bacilli as the cause of so many fungal diseases due to these organ- 

 isms, among which could be classified the diphtheria organisms, the tubercular 

 and leprotic bacilli. 



It is included in Vuillemin's Subclass Hyphales. It includes the 

 two families Nocardiaceae and Mycohacteriaceae. 



Microsiphones. A group of the higher or filamentous bacteria 

 recognized by Vuillemin (1913, p. 526). In this group the organisms 

 consist of branched filaments which break up into bacilliform elements. 

 The filaments may either be uniform in diameter or inflated at the 

 tips. Sometimes the filamentous forms predominate over the bacilli, 

 sometimes they are rare and the rods divide indefinitely in the manner 

 of the true bacteria. The rods are non-motile, and less fixed in habit 

 than with the true bacteria. The following genera and type species 

 are recognized: 



Nocardia Trevisan 1889 



N. Foersteri 

 Pasteuria Metschnikoff 1888 



P. ramosa 

 Sclerothrix MetschnikofT 1888 



S. tuberculosis 

 Corynebacterium Lehmann and Neumann 



C. diphtheriae 



Microsphaera. A genus of pyrenomycetous fungi described by 

 Leveille (1851, p. 381). Cohn (1872a, p. 237) named an organism which 

 he observed in the lymph of smallpox vaccine Microsphaera vacciniae. 

 Later (1872, p. 150) he corrected the error, using instead the generic 

 name Micrococcus. Microsphaera as a bacterial genus is invalid. 

 Cohn's description of the genus is as follows: 



Microsphaera (Kugelbacterie). Familie der Schizomyceten, Gruppe der 

 Bacteriaceae. Zellen farblos, sehr klein, kuglig oder spharoidisch, in der Regel 

 unbewegt, durch Theilung oder Aschniirung zu 2, 4-8 oder mehrgliedrigen rosen- 

 kranzformigen Ketten vermehrt, durch Verschiebung zu unregelmassigen Grup- 

 pirungen, in Folge fortgeschrittener Vermehrung zu zahlreichen Zellhiiufchen 

 oder Colonien entwickelt, oder durch schleimige Intercellular substanz zu zoog- 

 loea artigen Massen verbunden, vielleicht Dauerzeilen bildend. 



Microspira. A bacterial genus named by Schroter (1886, p. 168) 

 with the following description. 



Vegetative Zellen schwach gekrilmmt, meist nur mit | Windung 

 (Comma-Form), lebhaft bewegt. Die kurzen Formen konnen, nach- 

 dem sie zur Ruhe gekommen, zu schraubigen Spirochaete-artigen 



