nized and described; however, with standardized media, Hare and his associates have di- vided the anaerobic cocci into only nine groups. Thus, future work may show that some or even many of the species here regarded as distinct are, in reality, identical with each other. (See Hare, Wildy, Billett and Twort, Jour. Hyg., 50, 1952, 295; Hare, Atti del VI Congresso Internaz. di Microbiologia, Roma, 1, 1953, 55; and Thomas and Hare, Jour. Clin. Path., 7, 1954, 300.) The type species is Veillonella parvula (Veillon and Zuber) Prevot. Key to the species of genus Veillonella. I. Gas produced in culture media. A. Acid from glucose. 1. Veillonella parvula. B. Carbohydrates not attacked. 1. Rancid odor not produced in broth. 2. Veillonella alcalescens. 2. Slight rancid odor produced in broth. 3. Veillonella discoides. II. Gas not produced in culture media. A. Gelatin not liquefied. 1. Indole produced in trace amounts. Cells measure 0.8 to 1.0 micron in diameter. 4. Veillonella reniformis. 2. Indole not produced. Cells measure 1.5 to 2.0 microns in diameter. 5. Veillonella orbiculus. B. Gelatin is liquefied. 6. Veillonella vulvovaginitidis . 1. Veillonella parvula (Veillon and Zuber, 1898) Prevot, 1933. {Staphylococcus par villus Veillon and Zuber, Arch. Med. Exp., 1898, 542; Prevot, Ann. Sci. Nat., S6r. Bot., 15, 1933, 119.) par'vu.la. L. dim. adj. parvulus very small. Very small spheres, 0.2 to 0.4 micron in diameter, occurring in pairs, in very short chains or in masses. Gram-negative. Gelatin: No liquefaction. Semi-solid agar (Veillon) colonies: At first punctiform, becoming lenticular, reach- ing a diameter of 2 mm. Gas bubbles pro- duced. Blood agar colonies: Usually surrounded by a clear halo; weakly hemolytic. Agar slant: Transparent, bluish, minute colonies. Peptone broth: Turbid; fine sediment. Glucose broth: Turbid. Faintly fetid odor. Gas produced contains CO2 , H2 and H2S. Serum broth: Very abundant, rapid growth. Milk: No acid. No coagulation. Some strains produce gas. Indole is produced. Hydrogen sulfide is produced. Acid and gas from glucose. Slight amount of acid from fructose, galactose and sucrose. Mannitol, maltose and inulin feebly at- tacked by some strains. Nitrites produced from nitrates. Coagulated protein not attacked. Ammonia not produced. Strictly anaerobic. Temperature relations: Optimum, 37° C. Feeble growth at 22° C. Optimum pH, between 6.5 and 8.0. Distinctive characters: Fermentation of polypeptides to produce hydrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and indole; fer- mentation of sugars; hemolj'sis of blood; production of nitrites from nitrates. Source: Isolated by Veillon and Zuber from appendixes, buccal cavities and lungs. Of the 13 strains studied by Prevot, three were isolated from pulmonary gangrene, one from an appendix, one from alveolar pyorrhea, five from amniotic fluid, two from abscesses and pulmonary congestion and one from the buccal cavity of a normal rab- bit. Found in suppurative lesions or pus.
