SUMMARY: The cultural and biochemical characteristics of 38 strains of Chromobacterium are described. They are non-sporing aerobic Gram-negative rods which produce a violet pigment and possess both polar monotrichous and peritrichous flagella. They produce little acidity fkom carbohydrates and utilize citrate.T w o main groups of strains were distinguishable, a mesophilic and a psychrophilic group. The former usually ferment glucose anaerobically, are markedly proteolytic, facultatively anaerobic, and give a positive egg-yolk reaction, but do not hydrolyse aesculin. The psychrophilic organisms produce acid fkom glucose but only aerobically, are poorly proteolytic, strictly aerobic, and hydrolyse aesculin but do not produce an egg-yolk reaction.