16 HOW BACTERIA ARE NAMED AND IDENTIFIED 



familiar animal or plant in each language there will be coined a name. Usually 

 the name for the same organism will be different in each language. For example, 

 we have in English Oak, in German Eiche, in Latin Quercus, etc. For many less 

 common kinds, however, there may be no such vernacular names developed. 

 There have been, of course, many casual or vernacular names given to kinds of 

 bacteria. In English Ave speak of the tubercle bacillus, the typhoid germ, the 

 gonococcus, the Welch bacillus, the golden pus coccus, and many others. Simi- 

 larly, we find in German Typhusbazillus and in French bacille typhique, entero- 

 coque, etc. Not infrequently scientific names may be adopted into a modern 

 language and converted into vernacular names. For example, the English name 

 aster and the scientific generic name Aster are applied to the same group. This 

 is freciuently a convenience, and in general this practice is to be commended. 

 For example, many of the "scientific" generic names used in bacteriology are 

 also used as names in English and other languages. This adaptation is particu- 

 larly convenient when the organisms in the group under discussion are of im- 

 portance and are frequently referred to in the literature. Custom and nomen- 

 clatural rules suggest certain discretion and appropriateness in the use of these 

 casual or vernacular names. The following suggestions, based upon nomenclatural 

 precedent and custom, should prove useful to the student. 



1. The name of a genus is a noun in the singular. It is not a collective noun 

 and should never be used with a plural verb. Do not use such an expression as 

 "The Salmonella are abundant." 



2. However, custom since the beginning of binomial nomenclature has sanc- 

 tioned the use of the plural of generic names. One may say "The Sahnonellae 

 (Corynehacteria, Rhizohia, Sarcinae, Bacilli) are." These Latin plurals are used 

 with the meaning "The species of the genus Salmonella (etc.) are." They do not 

 connote the existence of more than one genus Salmonella. 



3. Custom has also sanctioned the use of the generic name in the singular in 

 an expression such as "This Sarcina is yellow" with the meaning "This species 

 of Sarcina is j^ellow." 



4. The Latin plural of a generic name should be employed whenever the name 

 is used as indicated in 2 above. "The Salmonellas or Sarcinas are ..." should be 

 avoided because of the use of the English plural endings. 



5. An English (vernacular) name may be coined from any generic name. This 

 is done usually only for genera that are under length}^ discussion or of consider- 

 able economic significance. 



6. An English, or vernacular, name of a genus may be used also in the plural, 

 as in "the corynehacteria are . . ." with the meaning "The species of coryne- 

 bacterium under consideration." When a Latin generic name is converted into 

 the English vernacular, either the English or the Latin plural may be used. 

 Perhaps the Latin plural is the better choice, but one finds "The salmonellas 

 are ... ." Note that when used as a vernacular (English) word the generic name 

 is never regarded as a proper noun and is not capitalized or italicized. 



More than one form of a name may be derived in English (vernacular) from a 



