required in the medium for growth. Opti- mum, 12.5 to 15 per cent. Optimum pH, between 7.4 and 7.6. Limits of pH, 5.5 to 8.5. Anaerobic. Temperature relations: Optimum, 35° C. Slight growth at 22° C. No growth at 56° C. Source: Isolated from salted Mediter- ranean anchovies; frequently isolated from the fish muscle and the solar salt (the prob- able infecting agent) in which the fish is packed. Habitat: Probably sea water. 10. Bacteroides putidus (Weinberg et al., 1937) Kelly, comb. nov. {Bacillus gracilis putidus Tissier and Martelly, Ann. Inst. Past., 16, 1902, 865; Bacillus putidus Wein- berg et al., Les Microbes Ana^robies, 1937, 790; not Bacillus putidus Kern, Arb. bakt. Inst. Karlsruhe, 1, Heft 4, 1896, 400; Ristella putida Prevot, Ann. Inst. Past., 60, 1938, 291.) pu'ti.da. L. adj. putidus stinking, fetid. Small, thin, straight rods, occurring singly or in short chains; longer forms occur in older cultures. Non-motile. Gram-nega- tive. Gelatin: No liquefaction. Glucose agar: Deep colonies lenticular in 48 hours, later becoming irregular. No gas. Broth: Turbidity in 48 hours with a powdery precipitate. No gas. Putrid odor. Milk: No action. Albumin: Broken down to proteoses and amines with the production of hydrogen sul- fide and acetic, butyric and valerianic acids. Fibrin is digested with the production of gas. Urea is broken down. No action on carbohydrates. Fats are saponified. Anaerobic. Growth occurs at 37° C. or at room tem- perature. Source: Isolated from putrefying meat. Habitat: Found in decomposing organic matter. 11. Bacteroides melaninogenicus (Oli- ver and Wherry, 1921) Roy and Kelly, 1939. (Bacterium melaninogenicuvi Oliver and Wherry, Jour. Inf. Dis., 28, 1921, 341; Ris- tella melaninogenica Pr6vot, Ann. Inst. Past., 60, 1938, 290; Roy and Kelly, in Man- ual, 5th ed., 1939, 569.) me.la.ni.no.ge'ni.cus. Gr. adj. melas black; M.L. noun melaninum melanin; Gr. adj. genicus of the family; M.L. adj. mel- aninogenicus melanin-producing. Description taken from Oliver and Wherry (op. cit., 1921, 341) and Burdon (Jour. Inf. Dis., 4^, 1928, 161). Rods, 0.8 by 1.0 to 3.0 microns. Non- motile. Gram-negative. Serum gelatin stab: Dense, flocculent growth at 37° C. No liquefaction. Blood agar slant: Confluent, black, dry layer. The blood is disintegrated in one to two weeks, forming melanin. The medium becomes colorless. Sodium phosphate broth: Turbid. Litmus milk: Slow acidification but no coagulation. Blood serum slant: Fairly luxuriant, white, moist layer. Acid from fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose, sucrose and mannitol. No acid from galactose. Growth is stimulated by the X factor, but there is very little growth stimulation by the V factor (Schwabacher, Lucas and Riming- ton. Jour. Gen. Microbiol., 1, 1947, 109). Anaerobic. Optimum temperature, 37° C. Non-pathogenic for rabbits, guinea pigs or white mice (Burdon). Distinctive characters: Growth very poor unless fresh body fluids are added to the medium. Grows more readily in mixed cul- ture. When grown on a medium containing haemoglobin, a black pigment is produced. Comments: Schwabacher et al. {loc. cit.) have shown that the black pigment pro- duced by this species is, in reality, hematin, not melanin; the specific epithet melanino- genicus is, therefore, inappropriate, and they recommend renaming this species. Re- naming, however, is contrary to inter- nationally accepted rules governing nomen- clature. Source: Isolated from the oral cavity, ex- ternal genitalia, an infected surgical wound, urine and feces (Oliver and Wherry) . Habitat: Inhabits healthy mucous mem-
