GENERAL SYSTEMATIC BACTERIOLOGY 523 



Fuchs (1841, p. 190) also described Vibrio ajanogenus and V. 

 xanthogenus. 



Dujardin (1841, p. 216) characterized the genus as follows: "Corps 

 filiforme, plus ou moins distinctement articule par suite, d'une divi- 

 sion spontanee imparfaite, susceptible d'un mouvement ondulatoire 

 comme un serpent." The family of Vibrionia he characterized as 

 "Animaux sans organes locomoteurs visibles, se mouvent par I'effect 

 de leur contractibilite generale." Four species of Vibrio arc recog- 

 nized, V. Lineola, rugula, bacillus and serpens. 



Leidy (1849, p. 228) was apparently the first to suggest the placing 

 of this genus among plants rather than animals. He discussed two 

 species which he believes belong to the genus Vibrio, from the coecum 

 of Jidus. He says: 



Even those moving filamentary bodies belonging to the genus Vibrio, I am 

 inclined to think, are of the character of algous vegetation. Their movement is 

 no objection to this opinion, for much higher confervae, as the Oscillatorias, are 

 endowed with inherent power of movement, not very unlike that of the Vilrio, 

 and indeed the movement of the latter appears to belong only to one stage of its 

 existence. Thus, in the toad (Bufo americanus), in the stomach and small intes- 

 tine, there exist simple, delicate, filamentary bodies, which are of three differ- 

 ent kinds. One is exceedingly minute, forms a single spiral, is endowed with a 

 power of rapid movement, and appears to be the Spirillum undula of Ehrenberg; 

 the second is an exceedingly minute, straight and short filament, with a move- 

 ment actively molecular in character, and is probably the Vibrio lineola of the 

 same author; the third consists of straight, motionless filaments, measuring 

 l/1125th inch long, by l/15,000th broad; some were, however, twice, or even 

 thrice this length, but then I could always detect one or two articulations, and 

 these, in all their characters, excepting want of movement, resemble the Vibrio. 

 In the rectum of the same animal, the same filamentary bodies are found, with 

 myriads of Bodo intestinalis ; but the third species, or longest of the filamentary 

 bodies, have increased immensely in numbers, and now possess the movement 

 peculiar to the Vibrio lineola which, however, does not appear to be voluntary, 

 but reactionary; they bend and pursue a straight course, until they meet with 

 some obstacle, when they instantly move in the opposite direction, either extrem- 

 ity forward." 



Perty (1852) divides the family Vibrionida into two groups, Spiril- 

 lina, containing organisms in chains or filaments spirally wound and 

 Baderina in which the filaments are flexuous or straight. In the 

 group Bacterina three genera were included. Vibrio, Bacterium and 

 Metallacter. He retained only two species in Vibrio, V. rugula and 

 V. lineola but recognized V. syncyaneus and V . synxanthus. Davaine 

 (1859) used practically the same definition of the genus. 



