HOW BACTERIA ARE NAMED AND IDENTIFIED 25 



9. Spelling and gender of names of taxa. 



a. The original spelling of a name or epithet must be retained, except in the 

 case of a typographical error or of a clearly unintentional orthographic 

 error. It may be difficult to determine when a typographical or orthographic 

 error has occurred. In cases where there is doubt it is advisable to ask the 

 Judicial Commission to consider the matter and to render an OPINION 

 which ^\all be authoritative. 



b. The gender of generic names is determined as follows: 



(1) A Greek or Latin word adopted as a generic name retains the gender 

 of the Greek or Latin. 



(2) Generic names which are modern compounds formed from two or more 

 Greek or Latin words take the gender of the last component. If the 

 ending is changed from that of the original Greek or Latin word, the 

 gender is determined by the rules of gender of the Greek or Latin 

 respectively. 



(3) Arbitrarily formed generic names, i.e., those not formed from Latin 

 or Greek, take the gender assigned to them by their authors. Where 

 the original author did not indicate the gender, the next subsequent 

 author has the right of choice. 



10. Provisions for exceptions to the rules or for their interpretation. 

 Whenever, in the opinion of any microbiologist, an interpretation of any rule 

 or recommendation of nomenclature is desirable because the correct application 

 of such rule or recommendation is doubtful, or the stability of nomenclature could 

 be increased by the conservation or by the rejection of some name which is a 

 source of confusion or error, it is recommended that he prepare a resume out- 

 lining the problem, citing pertinent references, and indicating reasons for and 

 against specific interpretations. This resume should be submitted to the Chair- 

 man of the Judicial Commission; if desired, through one of the Permanent 

 Secretaries. An OPINION will be formulated, which may not be issued until 

 it has been approved by at least eight members of the Commission. 



Before the preparation of an OPINION, a preliminary statement is usually 

 published in the International Bulletin of Bacteriological Nomenclature and 

 Taxonomy, the official organ of the International Committee on Bacteriological 

 Nomenclature, Iowa State College Press, Ames, Iowa, U. S. A. 



Those who are interested in the solution of special nomenclatural problems 

 have open to them as an avenue of communication and publication the columns 

 of the International Bulletin. The Board of Editors includes the chairman of the 

 Judicial Commission and the two permanent secretaries. Requests for assistance 

 in the solution of bacteriological nomenclatural problems may be sent to any 

 member of the Editorial Board at the following addresses: 



Prof. R. E. Buchanan, Chairman of Judicial Commission and of the Editorial 

 Board. Room 316 Curtiss Hall, Iowa State College, Ames, Iowa, U. S. A. 



Dr. S. T. Cowan, Permanent Secretary of the International Committee and 

 of the Judicial Commission. National Collection of Type Cultures, Central 

 Public Health Laboratory, Colindale Avenue, London, N.W. 9, England. 



