CXCI 
foremost phytologists. As an instance of how this might work, take the case of the vast 
genus séragalus, whieh, by the observanee of this plan, would now be destitute of any name, 
for in turn all its names have been taken as synonyms, such as Glycia, Phaea, Pelecinus, 
Tragacantha, Astragalus, and Biserrula. Such a plan is absolutely unworkable, as many 
names which are now in common use have at one time suffered eclipse. 
Before eoncluding it may be well to notice one other Strange aberration, which is to be 
found in the last number of Píttonia, where Prof. Greene has revived some of Rafinesque's 
forgotten or condemned genera, and in accordance therewith renamed many species. Jacksonia, 
to supersede Zolanisia, does not greatly matter, for Polanisia is now sunk in Cleome, there- 
fore the homonym of Robert Brown is in no danger of extinction ; but there are many others 
whieh might give some trouble. In this memoir, too, we find the citation of such unknown 
botanieal authors as Catullus, and similar writers. This practice is not conducive to botany, 
nor even to scholarship, for it does not require much classical ability to look in a Latin dic- 
tionary to discover many plant names are there to be found eited as occurring in the pages of 
the Roman writers. 
A [fact which eannot be gainsaid remains, that these men did not define 
these genera in a Linnean sense, and therefore to cite either them, or even comparatively much 
later ones for specifie names, as *Dod." or *C, Bauh." is mere antiquarian, and not modern 
botany. -^ 
Vagaries such as these are sure to oceur. Every age has had persons of the type of Ra 
finesque, and we need entertain little doubt that the good sense of the great body of worker 
in botany will in future, as in the past, sweep aside these flimsy webs of Sophistry in favour 
of procedure that has in the main worked excellently for more than a century, which, being 
based upon foundations of practical utility, 
Februar 1892. Prof. Dr. N. L. Britton 
in Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical 
Club, page 50—65 reviews my book: 
In the course óf Dr. Kuntze's extensive 
travels in all parts of the world since the 
year 1874, he accumulated a collection of 
plants aggregating 7706 numbers. In the sub- 
sequent study of this great amount of mate- 
rial, carried on principally in the Herbaria 
at Berlin and at Kew, he was confronted 
with the problem of determinating on the 
system of nomenclature he should adopí for 
them. He wisely decided to adhere strietly 
to the principles of priority laid down by 
the Paris Congress of botanists, and his re- 
sults are now given to the world in the two 
fine volumes before us. In addition to the 
elaboration of his own eollections, he under- 
took an even more extensive work, and one 
of very much more general importance. He 
decided to investigate the status of every 
£enerie name in use, and to point out the 
oldest available one for every genus recog- 
nized by him, visiting for this object the 
most extensive and complete botanical libra- 
ries in Europe. It is interesting to note in 
this eonnection that he found the Library of 
the British Museum of Natural History 28) 
superior tho all others. 
?5) "The old British Museum London 
W. C. Great Russel-street keeps the 
richest library; the new branch: British 
Museum of Natural History in London- 
Kensington was not meant. 
will endure long after these ingenious contri- 
vers are as little followed as the old masters of 
pre-Linnean botany are at the present day. 
15. August 1892. Rev. Prof. Ed- 
ward L. Greene in his Pittonia II 
215—291: 
The one review among all those read by 
me, whieh is moderate in its censures, and duly 
appreciative of Dr. Kuntze's immense and 
riehly valuable labors, is that of Dr. Britton 
of Columbia College; and this has been made 
elaborate to the extent of a long list of the 
American genera affected by the researches 
of the author of the '/Revisio." This list will 
become one of the necessary adjunets of cri- 
tieal work in nomenclature in our country. 
The reviewer has given many comments of 
his own at different places throughout the list, 
upon only a few of which would I make 
any remark. 
The date of the first edition of Linnaeus 
"Genera Plantarum" (1737) is Dr. Britton's 
chosen starting-point; but whether he has ever 
considered the very extremely retroactive ex- 
pressions of the Paris Code, and whether he 
holds the Code, to be his law, I know not. 
He is struck with Dr. Kuntze'*s new method 
of using the parenthetie author-eitation, na- 
mely, that of placing it after the name of 
the author of the combination rather than be- 
fore it, and finds this practice inexplicable. 
It seems clear enough to me that by Dr. 
Kuntze's method a point in obedience to; the 
International Law is gained; for that law 
demands, if I mistake nof, that the name of 
the author of a combination shall follow the 
combination immediately. Unless one count à 
parenthesis as nothing at all—to which view, 
in my mind, little or no exeeption can be 
III* 
