cherrina, a South European mite, by Mr. A. D. Michael.Photographs and drawings illustrating the absorption of the tubercle and other bacilli by the leucocytes, photographs of micro organisms in dental caries, by Mr. J. H. Mummery.— Exhibition of natural history objects with the projection microscope, monochromatic light apparatus for microscopic work, by Messrs. E. M. Nelson and C. L. Curties.-Phagocytes inclosing tubercle effusion from dorsal lymph-sac of frog, by Mr. Pound. --Cherryfield rhomboides in balsam, with a new apochromatic homogeneous immersion 1'4 N.A., by Messrs. Powell and Lealand. A collection of different species of Rotifera, by Mr. C. Rousselet.-Photograph of a new apparatus for measuring drawings made with the camera lucida, by Sir Walter Sendall, K.C.M.G.-Petrological slides, transparencies of rock sections, Foraminifera, &c., by Mr. G. F. Smith.-Starch from potato fruit under inch, with polariscope, by Mr. W. T. Suffolk. Photographs of Podura scales, by the Hon. J. G. Vereker. Section of passion-flower, by Mr. J. J. Vezey.-Blight of grape vine (Phylloxera); Bacillus mallei (glanders); Pacinian corpuscles in mesentery of cat, chlorophyll of moss, Diatomaceæ from Jutland, a slide containing 100 species of Pleurosigma, by Messrs. Watson.

Entomological Society, December 2.-The Right Hon. Lord Walsingham, F.R.S., Vice-President, in the chair.Dr. D. Sharp, F. R. S., exhibited and commented on a number of photographs of various species of Lucanida belonging to M. René Oberthür.-Mr. C. G Barrett exhibited specimens of local forms and varieties of Lepidoptera, taken by Mr. Percy Russ near Sligo, including Pieris napi, var. near bryonia; Anthocharis cardamines (male), with the orange blotch edged with yellow, and yellowish forms of the female of the same spe cies; very blue forms of Polyommatus alsus; males of P. alexis, with the hind margin of the under wings spotted with black, and very handsome forms of the female. - The Rev. S. St. John exhibited two specimens of Lycana argiades, taken in So nersetshire by Dr. Marsh in 1884; three specimens of Deilephila euphorbia, bred from larvæ found feeding on Euphorbia paralias on the Cornish coast in September, 1889; and a series of various forms of Anchocelis pistacina, all taken in a garden at Arundel. Lord Walsingham, F.R.S., Mr. Barrett, and Mr. McLachlan, F.R.S., took part in the discussion which en ued. - Mr. Jenner. Weir exhibited and made reniarks on two dark specimens of Zygana minos which had been caught in Carnarvonshire. He remarked that the specimens were not representatives of complete melanism, and suggested that the word "phæism "-from paiós, dusky-would be a correct word to apply to this and similar departures from the normal coloration of a species.Mr. C. J. Gahan exhibited specimens of the common "book. louse," Atropos pulsatoria, Fabr., which he had heard making a ticking noise similar to that made by the "death-watch (Anobium).—Mr. B. A. Bower exhibited the following rare species of Micro-Lepidoptera: Spilonota pauperana, Frol.; Gelechia osseella, Stn.; Chrysoclysta bimaculella, Haw. ; and Elachista cingilella, Fisch.-Mr. R. Adkin exhibited a variety of Anthocharis cardamines, and one specimen of Sesia scoliaformis bred from a larva found at Rannoch.-Mr. G. T. Baker read a paper entitled "Notes on Lycana (recte Thecla) rhymnus, tengstræmii, and pretiosa." A discussion followed, in which Lord Walsingham, Captain Elwes, and Mr. Baker took part. Mr. F. Merrifield read a paper entitled "The effects of artificial temperature on the colouring of Vanessa urtica and certain other species of Lepidoptera." The author stated that both broods of all three species of Selenia, Platypteryx falcataria, Vanessa urtica, Bombyx quercus and var. calluna, and Chelonia caja were affected by temperature in the pupal stage, the lower temperature generally producing the greater intensity and darkness of colour; some of the Vanessa urtica made a near approach to the var. polaris of Northern Europe. A long discussion ensued, in which Mr. E. B. Poulton, F.R.S., Prof. Meldola, F.R.S., Mr. Barrett, Mr. Jenner-Weir, and Lord Walsingham took part.-Mr. W. Bateson read a paper entitled "On the variation in the colour of the cocoons of Eriogaster lanestris and Saturnia carpini," and exhibited a large number of specimens in illustration of the paper. Lord Walsingham congratulated Mr. Bateson on his paper, and on the intelligent care and method shown in his experiments, and said that he was glad to see that at Cambridge there was an entomologist ready to enter this interesting field of investigation, and perhaps at some future day to contest the palm with Mr. Poulton as re

Linnean Society, December 3.-Prof. Stewart, President, in the chair.-The President announced the recent bequest by the late Sir George MacLeay, K.C.M.G., of a marble bust of his father, the late Dr. William Sharp MacLeay, formerly a Fellow and Vice-President of the Society.-The President then exhibited a series of specimens of a South American beetle, showing the extremes of variation of colour observable within the limits of a single species.-Mr. J. E. Harting exhibited a photograph of an abnormally situated nest of the chimney swallow (Hirundo rustica), which had been built for the second time on a swinging hook in an outhouse; and made some remarks on three recorded cases of swallows nesting in trees, a most unusual habit. -The Botanical Secretary read a paper by Mr. W. West, on the Fresh-water Alga of the West of Ireland, and exhibited by way of illustration a number of preparations under the microscope, and a series of beautiful drawings by the author. The paper was criticized by Messrs. A. W. Bennett and E. M. Holmes, both of whom testified to the excellence of the work done and the value of the drawings.-The Zoological Secretary next read a paper by Dr. W. H. Strachan, on the tick pest of Jamaica, which was characterized as of so serious a to demand investigation by entomologists, with a view to a remedy. An interesting discussion followed, in which Mr. D. Morris gave a variety of details from personal experience during a residence of some years in Jamaica, and Mr. A. D. Michael pointed out the generic characters of certain West Indian ticks which were likely to include those found in Jamaica by Dr. Strachan. The question of remedy for this plague was discussed by Dr. John Lowe, and Messrs. T. Christy, C. Breeze, and T. J. Briant.

nature as

CAMBRIDGE.

Philosophical Society, November 23.-The following communications were made:-The self-induction of two parallel conductors, by Mr. H. M. Macdonald. The well-known expression for the self-induction of two parallel wires (Maxwell, § 685) holds only for the case when neither of them is magnetic. For the case when both wires are magnetic, the value of the coefficient is found, in this paper, in the form of an infinite series. This series can be expressed in finite terms when only one of the wires is magnetic, and then gives

where is the permeability of the surrounding media (viz. usually unity), a the radius of the magnetic wire of permeability μ, a' the radius of the other wire, and b the distance between their lines of centres. The effect of the magnetic quality is exhibited by means of numerical tables.-The effect of flaws on the strength of materials, by Mr. J. Larmor. The effect of an air bubble of spherical or cylindrical form in increasing the strains in its neighbourhood was examined; and it was suggested that the results might be of practical service in drawing general conclusions as to the influence of local relaxations of stiffness of other kinds. In particular, a cavity of the form of a narrow circular cylinder, lying parallel to the axis of a shaft under torsion, will double the shear at a certain point of its circumference; and the effect of a spherical cavity will not usually be very different. It is assumed in the analysis that the distance of the cavity from the surface of the shaft is considerable compared with its diameter, so that the influence of that boundary may be left out of account in an approximate solution.-The contacts of certain systems of circles, by Mr. W. McF. Orr.-On liquid jets, by Mr. H. J. Sharpe. The problem is treated by the method of Fourier series.

DUBLIN.

Royal Society, November 18.-Prof. A. C. Haddon, President of the Scientific Section, in the chair.-An analysis of the spectrum of sodium, by Dr. G. Johnstone Stoney, F.R.S. The position of the lines which present themselves in

shall approximately represent the positions of the lines in any one of the three series that present themselves in the spectra of the other light monad elements-Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs. These formulæ have an important physical meaning. They indicate that is a function of 1/m; in other words, that although the periodic times of the successive rays are not themselves a fundamental period with its harmonics, as is the case with the vibrations that give rise to musical sounds, they in some way depend on an event of this simple character which is going on in the molecules from which the spectrum emanates. Balmer's law may be represented by a very simple diagram which places this relationship in evidence. Draw the parabola

and place its axis horizontal.

:

4k

Erect an ordinate at the distance A from the vertex. Double this out, and using its double length as unit, set off upon it the harmonics 1/3, 1/4, 1/5, &c. From each of the points so determined draw horizontal lines to the curve these are the values of n for the successive lines of the hydrogen spectrum. Now, having regard to the fact that the light monad elements, H, Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, have all of them series of lines which appear to belong to the same general type, we are justified in assuming that Balmer's law is the simplest case of a general law which prevails throughout all the light monads. Hence, if the oscillation-frequencies be plotted down as the horizontal lines of a diagram constructed as above with x = n and y = 1/m, the curve passing through the ends of the lines in the other monads should be some curve of which the parabola is a particular case. This may happen in different ways, but the simplest hypothesis is that they are hyperbolas or ellipses. Accordingly, the author has tried this hypothesis in the case of the sodium spectrum, with the result that hyperbolas approximately represent series P (the principal series) and series S (the series of sharp lines), and that a para. bola represents the third series, series D (the series of diffuse lines); and with the further interesting result that the only line in the sodium spectrum which has not hitherto fallen into its place as a member of one or other of the three series proves to be in reality the first term of series S, with a value for n which is negative instead of positive. The physical meaning of this is that the revolution going on within the molecules round that elliptic partial which gives rise to this double line is in the opposite direction to what it would have been if its n had been positive (see memoir by the author "On Double Lines in Spectra," recently published in the Transactions of the Royal Dublin Society). The equation of an hyperbola being

The investigation shows that in series P and series S of the sodium spectrum, the curve of nature is not an exact hyperbola, but a curve slightly less curved in the neighbourhood of its vertex. It also indicates that there is probably a line in the sodium spectrum, belonging to series P, at or a little less than the wavelength 2130.-Mr. J. Joly exhibited and described a shutter for use in stellar photography. This shutter enables any bright star in the field of the telescope to be covered at will, so as to secure better definition. The shutter is a small watch-spring magnet, adjustable to any part of the field, and pivoted so that it can be rotated by the action of a current which circulates round the field in a narrow coil. In one position of the magnet the star is exposed, in the other covered. A modification for parallax work, suggested by Mr. A. A. Rambaut, and used at Dunsink Observatory, has the magnet and coil to one side of the field, and the shutter, which is carried on a needle attached to the magnet, fixed in the centre of the field. There is no vibration in these shutters, owing to the small mass of the moving parts. In the first form, the current in the one coil may control shutters placed in any part of the field of the telescope, so that, if desirable, more than one star may be covered.-Prof. T. Johnson described the structure and function of the peculiar swellings (callosities) of Nitophyllum versicolor, Harv., and pointed out the bearing of his observations on the specific character of N. versicolor, and Schmitz's views on the structure of the Floridean thallus.-Mr. E. W. L. Holt read a list of the rarer shore and deep-sea fishes obtained during the cruise of the s.s. Harlequin on the west coast of Ireland (1891). One fish, Centrophorus squamosus (Gm. L.), taken in deep water off the Mayo coast, is new to the British fauna. The following are new to the Irish fauna: Raia oxyrhynchus (Linn.), from 500 to 375 fathoms, and from shallow water; Raia microcellata (Mont.), from shallow water-coast of Mayo and Donegal ; Rhombus norvegicus (Gthr.), from shallow water-Donegal Bay; Arnoglossus grohmanni (Bonap.) was again taken; Crystallogobius nilssoni (Düb. and Kor.) proved to be abundant everywhere, between 10 and 35 fathoms. The following were amongst the forms, usually inhabiting littoral water, which were taken at more than 100 fathoms: Scyllium canicula, Acanthias vulgaris, Galeus vulgaris, Raia oxyrhynchus, Gadus aglifinus, Conger vulgaris.

PARIS.

Academy of Sciences, December 7.-M. Duchartre in the

chair.-Reply to a note by M. Besson on phosphides of boron, by M. Henri Moissan. The author points out that he remarked upon the reaction between boron and phosphorus in a paper presented on April 6, 1891, and more fully described its properties on July 6, 1891. He therefore claims priority over M. Besson, who first presented a note on the subject on July 13.-On the theory of linear differential equations, by M. André Markoff.-On modifications of the adiabatism of a contracted gaseous stream, by M. H. Parenty.-The vapour tensions of cobalt chloride solutions, by M. Georges Charpy. The graphic representation of the tensions at different temperatures of a solution saturated in the cold (containing 32 per cent. of CoCl2) gives two right lines from 20° to 40°, and from 75° onwards respectively, joined by a curve. Each of these right lines corresponds to a definite state of hydration of the salt; the lower represents the tension of a red solution, the upper of a blue one. These results agree with those of M. Etard, but the interval of passage between the two states is from 40° to 75° instead of from 35° to 50°, as found by this observer, a difference explained by the use of saturated solutions in his experiments.Action on some metals of sodammonium and potassammonium, by M. Joannis. (See Notes.)-Calculation of the temperature of ebullition of isomeric ethers of the fatty acids, by M. G. Hinrichs.-Thermal data concerning active malic acid and potassium and sodium malates, by M. G. Massol. The heat of solution of the anhydrous acid is (per mol. in 4 litres), 3.31 Cal.; heats of neutralization-by K =26'23 Cal., by Na =+24 86 Cal.; heats of solution of the anhydrous salts:

The rotatory power of silk, by M. Léo Vignon.-Ammonia in atmospheric waters, by M. Albert Lévy. At the previous meeting of the Academy, MM. Marcano and Müntz gave the results of twenty estimations of ammonia in rain caught at Caracas, and the mean (155 mgr. per litre) was thought by M. Müntz to be higher than that obtained in our latitudes. M. Lévy, however, shows that a higher proportion has been frequently obtained in France and elsewhere. He has estimated the ammonia and nitric acid in all the rainfalls at Montsouris for sixteen years. The average number is 150 per year; and from these 2000 or 3000 measures, a mean weight of 2'2 mgr. of ammonia per litre has been obtained.-In which part of the nervo-muscular system is inhibition produced?, by M. N. Wedensky.-The antennal gland of Amphipodes of the Orchestiidal family, by M. Jules Bonnier.-New list of large Cetacea stranded on the French coast, by MM. G. Ponchet and H. Beauregard.-On the parasitic fungus of Lachnidium acridiorum, Gd., by M. A. Girard. -On the germination of grains of Araucaria Bidwilli, Hook., and Araucaria brasiliensis, Rich., by M. Ed. Heckel.

BERLIN.

Physiological Society, November 13.-Prof. du Bois Reymond, President, in the chair.-Prof. H. Munk gave an account of further experiments made in his laboratory, on the effect on the larynx of section of the superior laryngeal nerve in the horse, and which had again led as their result neither to paralysis nor atrophy of the laryngeal muscles.-Dr. Krüger having investigated the chemical constitution of adenin and hypoxanthin, finds that they belong to the uric acid group. When treated with hydrochloric acid at 130° C., they yielded glycocoll, and by a more profound decomposition with bromine, potassium chlorate, and hydrochloric acid, alloxanthin and urea were obtained.

Physical Society, November 20.-Prof. Kundt, President, in the chair.-Prof. A. du Bois Reymond explained, starting from the discovery of electrodynamic rotations produced by alternating currents made by Galileo Ferraris in 1888, how the rotation of the magnetic field is employed in the construction of rotatory current motors, and exhibited several forms of the instrument to the Society. The principle discovered by Ferraris has undergone very material modification during its practical application, and has led to most interesting scientific results.

December 4.-Prof. von Helmholtz, President, in the chair. -Dr. Assmann described his aspiration-meteorograph intended for use in captive balloons. -Dr. Wolff spoke on the permanency of an accumulator battery which had been standing for a year, until the fluid in it had evaporated to dryness, and which, on being recharged, almost immediately recovered its original strength.

Meteorological Society, December 1.-Prof. Schwalbe, President, in the chair.-Dr. Assmann spoke on meteorological observations during balloon voyages and in captive balloons. For the determination of temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure in a free balloon, the aspiration thermometer and an aneroid barometer suffice. Comparative measurements made by Rotch in Paris and in Berlin, during balloon voyages, showed that a Richards thermograph records a temperature some 8° C. higher than does a maximum and minimum thermometer, and the latter shows a temperature always 2° C. higher than does an aspiration thermometer. In order to carry out prolonged observations on humidity during a balloon trip, three aspiration thermometers must be combined, of which two are alternately moistened while the third is kept dry. For use in captive balloons self-registering instruments must be employed, whose construction, owing to the frequently violent vertical jolts of the balloon, presents considerable difficulty. The speaker exhibited tracings which showed that these difficulties had been overcome by him. Temperature is recorded by a bent Bourdon tube filled with alcohol, humidity by a hair hygrometer, and atmospheric pressure by an aneroid; all these instruments being placed in a space in which aspiration is continuously kept up. Each instrument records upon a cylinder which rotates once in about five hours. The German Ballooning Society proposes to make simultaneous observations (1) in a free balloon, (2) with a self-recording apparatus suspended by a long cable from the car of the balloon, (3) with a second similar apparatus in a

BOOKS.-La Rose: J. Bel (Paris, Baillière).-Les Champignons: A. Acloque (Baillière).-La Place de L'Homme dans la Nature: T. H. Huxley (Baillière).-Analysis of Theology: Dr. E. J. Figg (Williams and Norgate). -Sul Regime delle Spiagge e sulla Regolazione dei Porti: P. Cornaglia (Torino, Paravia). -Reports on the Mining Industries of New Zealand, 1891 Wellington. Didsbury).-Annual Report of the Department of Mines, N.S. W., 1890 (Sydney, Chapman).-The Embryology of the Sea Bass: Dr. H. V. Wilson (Washington).-Electricity up to Date: J. B. Verity (Warne).Studies in Anatomy from the Anatomical Department of the Owens College, vol. i. (Manchester, Cornish). -The Living World: H. W. Conn (Putnam). -A Natural Method of Physical Training: E. Checkley (Putnam).-Notes on Building Construction, Part 4 (Longmans). -Botanical Wall Diagrams (S.P.C.K.)-(Euvres Complètes de Christiaan Huygens, tome quatrième (La Haye, M. Nijhoff).-L'Electricité dans la Nature: G. Dary (Paris, G. Carré).-Thermodynamique: H Poincaré (Paris, G. Carré).-Through Equatorial Africa: H. von Wissmann; translated by M. J. A. Bergmann (Chatto and Windus).-Mission Scientifique au Cap Horn, 1882-1883, tome vii., Anthropologie, Ethnographie: P. Hyades and J. Deniker (Paris, Gauthier-Villars)-Whitaker's Almanack, 1892 (Whitaker).

PAMPHLETS.-Higher Education in Indiana: Dr. J. A. Woodburn (Washington).-Rules for a Dictionary Catalogue, 3rd edition; C. A. Cutter (Washington).-Promotions and Examinations in Graded Schools: Dr. E. E. White (Washington).-Sanitary Conditions for School-houses: A. P. Marble (Washington). SERIALS.-Journal of the Chemical Society, December (Gurney and Jackson). Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society, vol. xiii. Part 3 (117 Victoria Street).-L'Anthropologie, 1891, tome ii No. 5 (Paris, Masson). The Asclepiad, No. 32, vol. viii. (Longmans).-Botanische-Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie, Vierzehnter Band, 4 Heft (Williams and Norgate).

-

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1891.

BOTANICAL NOMENCLATURE. Revisio Genera Plantarum Vascularium omnium, atque Cellularium multarum, secundum Leges Nomenclatura Internationales, cum Enumeratione Plantarum in Itinere Mundi collectarum. Mit Erläuterungen von Dr. Otto Kuntze. Pp. 101. (London: Dulau and Co., 1891.)

TH

HE importance of this subject is so great, and the alterations made in this book so revolutionary (although the author pretends to be guided by "international rules"), that a brief sketch of the recent history of plantnaming is desirable in order to render any criticisms of the work generally intelligible; and it is all the more called for because Dr. Kuntze specially attacks the position taken up by a considerable section of English botanists.

From the time of the foundation by Linnæus of the binominal system of nomenclature, which cannot be said to have been consummated before the publication of the first edition of the "Species Plantarum" in 1753, down to within the last 25 or 30 years, matters proceeded with tolerable smoothness, though some influential botanists did not scruple to ignore the published names of their contemporaries, or alter them on the most trivial grounds; and there was almost universal laxity in citing authorities. But the more critical investigation of the European flora especially, and to some extent also, perhaps, the tendency to multiply species, led to a more thorough exainination of the literature, resulting in the discovery that the same genus or species had often been described and named by more than one writer, the names being usually different. Furthermore the limitation of many of the genera founded by Linnæus and others was greatly modified, some by narrower circumscription, others by amplification, according to the opinions and inclinations of the writers; and of course it frequently happened that different writers dealt with the same materials independently of, and unknown to, each other. Some of these new genera and species were described or proposed in publications of merely local circulation, and were overlooked by the majority of botanists, and others seem to have been purposely neglected; so that in many instances the current and commonly accepted names were of more recent publication than those of other authors. As there appeared to be no way out of the practice of citing the author of a given combination of generic and specific names, it followed that the only fair procedure would be to adopt the name and give credit to the man who first published a change generally accepted; because the presumption was that it was always possible, and usually probable, that the later author was aware of the earlier publication. If an author published later than another, his names must be relegated to the synonymy. This is all very well in theory, and is not so very difficult to put into practice, so far as recent writers are concerned, once we have proved the identity of plants under different names; but when we come to the older writers, all sorts of doubts and ambiguities arise, and it seems much better to retain generic and specific names

that are as well established as a thing can be in the uncertainties of the relative rank of vegetable organisms. The struggle of literary botanists to bring the law of priority into operation has, as will presently be shown, resulted in successsive changes in nomenclature, each one carrying his investigations a little further than his predecessors, and extending the backward limit of authority for the establishment of genera and species, until the whole thing has drifted into a lamentable and undignified race between persons who deal in dates, and are even prepared to make all sorts of evasions of ordinary rules in order to gratify their craze for reviving old names.

It is hardly necessary to say that these successive changes, apart from the great divergencies as to the limitations of genera and species, have a most deterrent effect on the progress of the study of systematic botany, and make it ridiculous in the eyes of persons who regard a name as merely a means to an end.

In 1867 a Botanical Congress was held in Paris, to which botanists of all countries had been invited, and the most important subject discussed was botanical nomenclature. Mr. A. de Candolle had drawn up a most carefully considered code of rules to govern botanists in their writings; and this code was submitted to the assemblage of botanists, each rule being formulated and modified as the majority deemed wise. Finally, the The fundamental whole was printed and circulated. principle of these laws was priority of publication with adequate descriptions, and unfortunately it was made retrospective, without any sufficiently defined statute of limitations. For reasons of their own, the Kew botanists took no part in the proceedings of this Congress; whether wisely or not it would be difficult to determine, and fruitless to discuss. Of course, their position was open to comment and criticism, which have not been wanting; and Dr. Kuntze, while expressing his admiration of the amount and quality of the work done at Kew, deplores the fact that little regard has been paid to remote and obscure priorities. So far he is fair enough; but when he imputes unworthy motives to Bentham, he commits a great mistake, and does grievous injustice to the memory of a man whose sole aim was to advance botanical science, and especially that branch to which he had devoted his life, and which is most intimately bound up with nomenclature. No doubt the authors of the "Genera Plantarum" failed to take up a large number of published generic names; and not being bound down by the law of priority, they were not always consistent, even from the point of view of expediency and convenience, as the surviving author would readily admit. But to suggest that they would not conform strictly to the rule of priority because they would have to undo much of their own work is as disingenuous as it is untrue. The first volume of the "Genera Plantarum" was not completed till 1867, the "Flora Australiensis" was less than half done, and the

Flora of British India" was not commenced; so that, if the authors had had a longing for change and cheap notoriety, they might have re-named a third of the flowering plants of the world. But their idea was to maintain genera and species, as they had been gradually built up, under current names. The opinion of the late Mr. Bentham on this point is clear from the following passage Journ. Linn. Soc., xix., p. 19) in his "Notes on the

Gramineæ "the last of the natural orders elaborated for the "Genera Plantarum":

"Much has been done, however, for the elucidation of the order in local Floras. Already at the close of the last century and the commencement of the present one, several Continental botanists proposed new genera for anomalous European grasses; but these were published in works which entered but little into general circulation, and were overlooked by Beauvois, Persoon, Willdenow, and other systematists. Several of the same genera have since been re-established, but under other names which have now been so long and so universally adopted, that they must be considered as having acquired a right of prescription to overrule the strict laws of priority. It would indeed be mere pedantry, highly inconvenient to botanists, and so far detrimental to science, now to substitute Blumenbachia for Sorghum, Fibichia for Cynodon, Santia for Polypogon, or Sieglingia for Triodia."

It is idle to argue that two or three persons have no right to make laws; for any corporation, however small, has that right, and is justified in exercising it if it has the power to carry them into effect. But, after all, the main question is, whether the Kew botanists acted in the interest of science in declining to be guided by the rules passed by another body of botanists; and I think any unprejudiced outsider would agree that they did, and that the course events have taken has strengthened their position.

It should be remembered that most of the advocates of priority, and especially those advocates of almost unqualified priority, such as Dr. Kuntze, have no responsibility beyond literary accuracy, and even that cannot be maintained for such uncertain quantities as orders, genera, and species of plants. On the other hand, the botanists of Kew have grave responsibilities towards the general public. It is not too much to say that Kew is almost exclusively responsible for the botanical nomenclature current in gardens, and in English and colonial literature dealing with plants or the products of plants, to say nothing of the vast named collections at Kew. The labour of renaming the plants in accordance with the investigations of successive reformers would have been as nothing to the folly of doing so, though it would have been a herculean task, and a recurring task, as each older name was disinterred. The idea of giving a gardener, or a manufacturer, or any person interested in vegetable products, one of these resuscitated generic names with a specific name tacked on to it by a person who has done nothing else except put his initials to it, is too absurd. All the literature connected with the plant is under another name, all the figures likewise, and, one might add, all the persons almost who know anything about the plant, know it by the old name. Yet, forsooth, we are asked to sacrifice everything that belongs to the present for the sake of a "principle" that involves endless confusion, and feeds the vanity of the living more than it honours the dead. Of course priority in current work is a totally different thing; but if it had been the intention of the promoters of the new " Index to Plant Names," on which Mr. Daydon Jackson and his assistants have been engaged for some ten years, to restore these old generic names, and enumerate the species thereunder, it would now be necessary to cite some 30,000 of them as the com

binations of O. K. (Dr. Kuntze). It is no disparagement to the literary researches of Dr. Kuntze to say that Mr. Jackson was in a position to do this infinitely better than Kuntze, if it had been desirable to do it. But it was never a part of the plan that the compiler should reduce synonymy, and amend the nomenclature of plants. His task has been to prepare an index, and as such its value will far exceed any attempts at finality in synonymy. To have proceeded on the lines of Steudel would have only resulted in the addition of many thousands of names devoid of all authority. Nevertheless, Dr. Kuntze, being so impressed with the importance of his precious names, declares that the index will have no scientific value unless it include the 30,000 specific names appropriated by "O. K." without more labour than a mere transfer. Dr. Kuntze worked at Kew for several years, and enjoyed the usual privileges of the establishment, and the exceptional privilege of consulting the index in question; and he now very magnanimously dedicates a genus to the compiler, and patronizingly tells him he hopes he will take proper advantage of the researches and superior wisdom of the author.

The extent to which these changes have been made may be gathered from the author's own summary, in which he states that he has reduced 151 genera; separated off 6 genera; re-named 122 genera, because they bore names homonymous with other genera; restored 952 genera in accordance with the laws of priority; and re-named upwards of 30,000 species belonging to these genera! How he justifies these changes may be learnt from a few examples, selected to illustrate the various extraordinary devices employed by a writer who professes to be animated by a sincere desire to reform and consolidate botanical nomenclature. We may waive for the moment another phase of the question-how far can botanists accept these identifications, even if they are prepared to accept the principle? Astragalus, a genus of more than a thousand species, is to be superseded by Tragacantha, because the latter name was published by Linnæus in his earlier crude "Systema " (1735), though in his revised and improved work he preferred and employed the former. Kuntze says, in fact, that no author can be permitted to revoke any previously published name of his own making, any more than those of another person; and accordingly he transfers page after page of names from Astragalus to Tragacantha, with the appended authority, " O. K." Other familiar large genera treated in the same way are: Erica, which becomes Ericodes, on an even less tenable ground; Pelargonium has to cede to Geraniospermum; and Clematis receives an additional syllable, and in future we must say Clematitis. Recent authors have combined Rhododendron and Azalea under the former, but Kuntze now gives them all names under the latter. Proceeding to examples of more far-fetched changes, it may be noted that Cleistanthus is to be Kaluhaburunghos, though it was only the other day that Dr. Trimen discovered that a plant in Herrmann's herbarium, bearing this name, which was taken up by Linnæus in his "Flora Zeylanica," was the same as Cleistanthus acuminatus. Dr. Trimen also identified Gaedawakka as of the same origin with Chatocarpus, therefore Kuntze restores the former. Another excuse for changing names is the existence of two of the same derivation. Thus Glaucium cannot be tolerated by the side of Glaux, and Kuntze takes the opportunity of