Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology [antikvár]

PREFACE TO SIXTH EDITION More than the usual amount of time and effort has been given toward making this new edition of Bergey's Manual useful. The volume has been completely revised and is reset in double column format so that each page carries about 20 per cent more type than the pages in the fifth edition. Those who are interested in special groups of bacteria will find something new in the presentation of the relationships in every genus. Because of our rapidly expanding knowledge, changes in the outline classification and text were made necessary. These changes have in every case been made by specialists in consultation with the Editorial Board. Every specialist possesses first hand knowledge of the species in the group that he or she has reviewed. Because increasing knowledge has shown the fission fungi to be a larger and more diversified group than previously realized, the number of species described has increased from 1335 in the fifth edition to 1630 in the present edition of the Manual. This number does not cover all of the descriptions found in the literature for, as in all other fields of biology, many of the descriptions are so inadequate that the species described cannot now be identified. Many descriptions are obvious or probable duplications of previous descriptions while still others are based on nothing more substantial than the author's belief that he had something new, he having made but little effort to compare his cultures with those found by previous investigators. An indication of the large number of inadequate descriptions will be found by referring to the material in the appendixes to the various groups, and to the index where synonyms and incompletely described species are shown in italics. The large number of these poorly described species suggests that there has been much unsatisfactory work done in the field of bacteriological taxonomy. Progress in this inadequately developed field is needed as it would help to clarify the approach to desirable research in many fields of bacteriology. It is believed that both teachers and investigators will find the new Source and Habitat index useful. It is important to know what organisms have been described from any given habitat in determining the identity of a described species or whether a given species is new. The future development of taxonomic work holds several interesting possibilities of increased international cooperation such as between the various National Type Culture Collections and within the International