24 HOW BACTERIA ARE NAMED AND IDENTIFIED 



c. A legitimate name is one that conforms to all the nomenelatural rules. 



d. A correct name of a taxon is that legitimate name which for a given taxon 

 takes into consideration the boundaries or circumscription of the taxon. 

 For example, if one author recognizes two species in a genus, each species 

 will have a correct name determined by the application of the rules. An- 

 other author may unite the two into a single species, which will have a 

 correct name under the rules. 



6. Citation of authors and names. 



a. It is customary in formal use of the name of a species to cite the name of 

 the author, usually with the year of publication. This means exactly what 

 it says, one cites the author of the name of the taxon being used. This is 

 not necessarily the name of the author who first described the organism. 

 For example, one cites Bacillus suhtilis Cohn, 1872. 



b. When a named species is transferred to another genus, the name of the 

 author who proposed the specific epithet is inserted in parentheses between 

 the new species name and the name of the author of the new combination. 

 For example, Neisser and Kuschbert in 1883 named an organism Bacillus 

 xerosis. Lehmann and Neumann in 1899 transferred this organism to their 

 newly created genus Corynebacterium, correctly retaining the original 

 specific epithet (as xerose to agree in gender with Corynebacterium), and 

 the new combination is cited as Corynebacterium xerose (Neisser and 

 Kuschbert, 1883) Lehmann and Neumann, 1899. Obviously citation of 

 author and date with the name of an organism is necessary only when the 

 organism is first mentioned in a publication. 



7. Changes in names required by union or segregation of taxa. 



a. When a genus is divided into two or more genera, the generic name must 

 be retained for one of them. The generic name must be retained for the 

 genus containing the type species. 



b. When a species is divided into two or more species, the specific epithet 

 must be retained for one of them. The specific epithet of the species con- 

 taining the type must be retained for this species. 



c. When a species is transferred from one genus to another, the specific 

 epithet is retained unless the resulting species name is a later homonym 

 or a tautonym or unless there is available an earlier validly published 

 specific epithet. 



8. Rejection and replacement of names. 



a. A name or epithet must not be rejected, changed or modified merely be- 

 cause it is badly chosen or disagreeable, or because another is preferable 

 or better known. Exceptions can be made only by international action 

 through the Judicial Commission of the International Committee. 



b. A name must be rejected if it is illegitimate, that is, if it is contrary to a 

 rule. There are numerous defects which may make a name illegitimate, 

 for example, it may have been superfluous when proposed. Exceptions can 

 be made by international approval through action of the Judicial Com- 



