Metabolic studies on Brucella neotomae (Stoenner and

organism from the wood rat Neotoma lepida and, on the basis of its behavior on differential dye media, CO2 requirements, and H2S production, regarded it as a new species of Brucella, for which they proposed the name Brucella neotomae. Al-though recognition of a new species may be justified on the basis of these conventional techniques, it was considered advisable to in-vestigate the oxidative metabolic pattern of the proposed new species on substrates of amino acids, carbohydrates, and intermediates in the Kreb's cycle. Meyer and Cameron (1958) have reported that each of the three recognized species display metabolic patterns that would aid in defining the species. Cultures of the pro-posed new species were obtained from Dr. Stoenner and subjected to manometric studies to determine if the oxidative pattern differed significantly from those exhibited by the three recognized species. MATERIALS AND METHODS Seven strains of B. neotomae were examined concurrently with the following typical species: B. abortus strain 2308, a standard virulent strain; B. suis strain 148A and B. melitensis strain S90, both of which were isolated from human cases of brucellosis by the California State Departmen