GREEN FLUORESCENT BACTERIA FROM WATER 69 



sufficient importance for such a purpose? Such questions may- 

 be answered by a detailed examination of individual strains. 



Niederkorn (1900) studied 15 strains of fluorescent bacteria in 

 order to find, if possible, better methods for differentiating the 

 various forms. He thinks that there are only two constant 

 forms. Bacillus pyocyaneus (Gessard) and Bacillus fiuorescens- 

 liquefaciens (Fliigge) and that the others are varieties. The 

 work of Eisenberg (1914) shows that the group of fluorescent 

 bacteria is closely related. He reports some work which he did 

 on seven strains and finds intergrading characters which make 

 it difficult to separate them into species and varieties. 



Buchanan (1915) has very aptly expressed the condition of 

 bacterial nomenclature. His statement is directly applicable 

 to the fluorescent group. "The naming of bacterial species, 

 genera, and higher groups, indeed the whole subject of bacterial 

 nomenclature, is in a condition which can best be described as 

 chaotic." Many different investigators have studied bacteria 

 which are fluorescent and have given new names to varieties 

 which differed slightly in characteristics. A search of the liter- 

 ature revealed 95 different names which have been given to 

 fluorescent bacteria. There is no reason to think that this 

 number includes all of them. One of the most recent additions 

 to the fluorescent group is Bacillus cereus variety fluorescens 

 nov. var, which has been reported by Laubach (1916). 



Significance of the fluorescent group of bacteria 



Bacteria having such a strong aromatic odor may have some 

 significance in the industries. Conn (1910) ascribes certain 

 cases of rancidity in butter to the presence of fluorescent bac- 

 teria. The .possibihty of this is apparent to anyone who has 

 extracted the pigment with any of the usual solvents. Even 

 in small amounts the odor remains for a long time in the room 

 in which such extractions have been made. 



Griffon (1909) calls attention to the wide distribution of the 

 fluorescent bacteria in nature, and to the fact that they are 

 present in many plant diseases and cause rot in vegetables. 



THE JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY, VOL. Ill, NO. 1 



