CHAPTER IV 

 CLASSIFICATION OF BACTERIA 



The accomplishments of man today are little less than those 

 attributed to the gods by the ancients. This is due to the fact that 

 modern man accumulates information j this he organizes, and 

 from the organized mass he draws conclusions. The conclusion, 

 if based on sufficient information and accurately deducted, gives 

 him a general law with which to work. Where very great masses 

 of information or great numbers of objects are to be dealt with 

 man must organize and classify. The librarian classifies the books 

 of the library. The soil chemist classifies the soils of the nation 

 or of the state. The business man classifies the materials with 

 which he deals. Otherwise, in each case, it would be impossible 

 to deal with the numerous complexes. Likewise, the biologist, if 

 he is going to have anything other than chaos, must classify the 

 plants and animals with which he works. 



Method of Classification.— In classifying objects it is im- 

 portant to use a system in which relationships are shown. This 

 is accomplished by arranging groups within groups. This method 

 is familiar to all as will be seen from an example cited. An army 

 is a definitely organized system which is composed of definitely or- 

 ganized units each nicely fitted into the whole. That is, an army is 

 composed of divisions; each division in turn is made up of bri- 

 gades; each brigade, of regiments; each regiment, of battalions; 

 each battalion, of companies; each company, of platoons; and 

 each platoon of squads. In this system each individual occupies a 

 definite specific place in the organization. In the classification of 

 the plant kingdom a somewhat similar organization is used. In 

 this is recognized groups within groups. A division is composed of 

 classes; a class is composed of orders; orders are composed of fam- 

 ilies; families are composed of tribes; tribes are composed of 



