42 MANUAL OF DETERMINATIVE BACTERIOLOGY 



abridged form in the section that follows this introduction. Any student 

 who has occasion to name a new species or a new genus or determine the 

 validity of a name should familiarize himself with these rules and recom- 

 mendations. 



An effort has been made in the present volume to use nomenclature in 

 conformity with these rules. 



Some general principles of nomenclature. Every student of bacteriology 

 should be familiar with certain rules of nomenclature if he is to use names 

 intelligently. If he wishes to correct names improperly used or if he desires 

 to name new species, there are additional rules which he must observe. 



1. Each distinct kind of bacterium is called a species. 



2. To each distinct species a name is given consisting usually of two 

 Latin words, as Bacillus suhtilis. 



3. The first word is the name of the genus or group to which the organism 

 belongs. It is always written with a capital letter. It is a Latin or Greek 

 word, or a new word compounded from Latin or Greek roots, or it may be 

 derived from some other language ; but this is important, whatever its origin 

 when used as a generic name it must be regarded and treated as a Latin 

 noun. If it is a word not found in classic Latin, it is regarded as modern 

 Latin. Some generic names in bacteriology which are Latin or formed 

 from Latin roots are Bacillus (masculine) a small rod; Cristispira (fem- 

 inine) a crested spiral ; Lactobacillus (masculine) a milk small rod ; Sarcina 

 (feminine) a packet or bundle. Many others are words from the Greek or 

 compounded from Greek roots, with the words transliterated into Latin 

 letters and endings in conformity with Latin usage ; words of Greek origin 

 are Micrococcus (masculine) a small grain (sphere); Bacterium (neuter) a 

 small rod; Clostridium (neuter) a small spindle; Corynehacterium (neuter) 

 clubbed small rod; Actinomyces (masculine) ray fungus. Other generic 

 names have been given in honor of persons or places as Bcggiatoa (feminine), 

 Borrelia (feminine), Eberthella (feminine), Pasteurella (feminine), Erwinia 

 (feminine), Zopfius (masculine). 



4. The second word in the scientific name is a specific epithet. It is not 

 capitalized except that certain authors capitalize species names derived 

 from proper nouns. 



It may be : 



(a) An adjective modifying the noun, and indicating by its ending agree- 

 ment with the generic name in gender, as Bacterium album (white Bac- 

 terium), Bacillus alb us (white Bacillus), Sarcina alba (white Sarcina), 

 Eberthella dispar (the different Eberthella) , Bacterium variabile (the variable 

 Bacterium), Brucella melitensis (the maltese Brucella), Bacillus teres (the 

 rounded Bacillus), Bacillus graveolens (sweet- smelling Bacillus). 



