COX VIII 
iplieity of synonyms. If the new rule is to prevail, this must be called infature Picea 
Lose gpec Ph itia called it Pinus Abies. Link put it : ni right genus and he 
called it Picea excelsa, and there, in our opinion the matter shoulc rest. —]f the law of 
priority, of the operation of which we have tried to give neta Vue ^ to prevail with. 
out exception, the changes which will have to be riri wi s m not to hundreds bf 
to tens of thousands. "There is thus safety in numbers! It wil be simply impossible to 
make all the proposed changes, some will be made, a few will be adopted, the bulk will 
be passed over. This fact is rendered apparent by a remarkable book lately published by 
Dr. Kuntze. Dr. Kuntze, in his travels round the world, collected à large number of 
plants which he studied and identified in the herbaria at Berlin and Kew. He drew up a 
complete list of the plants collected by himself, and with Teutonie patience and industry 
set himself, to reform a he considers, the nomenclature of the plants 1n question, and of 
others with which in the course of his investigations he necessarily had in some degree 
to take cognizance. "We need not seck a better illustration of the unpracticability of the 
reforms indicated. Our readers shall judge for themselves by the aid of a few examples, 
Aecording to Dr. Kuntze, the genus Dendrobium dates from 1799, while Callista à name 
applied to the same genus, dates from 1790; and therefore should enjoy the rights of prio- 
rity as to date. Dr. Kuntze in this, as iu all similar cases has the courage of his con. 
vietions, and effaces Dendrobium with a stroke of his pen. How long will it be before 
gardeners abandon Dendrobium? They have never taken kindly to the substitution ot 
Pelargonium for Geranium, in spite of the fact that in that case it was not the date of 
publieation, but an actual blunder, that was attempted to be corrected. Angraecum goes 
under in favour of Angorchis, Lobelia has to give place to Dortmanna. Calceolaria is sunk 
in Fagelia, Nymphaea becomes Leuconymphaea and the well-known Lotus becomes Leuco- 
nymphaea Lotus OK. The little winter Aconite, whose yellow face we are so glad to see, is no 
longer to be Eranthis hyemalis but Helleborodes. ^ Who but Dr. Kuntze ever heard that 
name! But Dr. Kuntze has disinterred it, and, what is more boldly writes Helleborodes 
hyemale OK. "The Tulip-tree, universaly known as Liriodendron Tulipifera, is turned 
round in to Tulipifera Liriodendron, because the name Tulipifera, as a genus name, 
dates from May or June 1737 while Liriodendron only dates from October of the same year! 
But we need not give further illustrations; suffice is to say, they exist by the tens 
of thousands, and the initials, O. K., are attached to & vaste multitude of Species, 
of whieh it is physically impossible that Otto Kuntze can have, in any way whatever, 
added to our knowledge. Setting aside those cases in which it is possible that Dr. Kuntze 
has really advanced science, there remain, according to the author himself, no fewer than 
952 genera, the names of which he has changed on the ground of priority and no fewer than 
30,000 species which have been renamed for similar reasons, and to many of which the 
letters O. K. are duly attached. Happily the book is thus shown to be such a reductio 
ad absurdum that it will be passed over, save by those conscientious but unfortunate 
monographers who may deem in their duty to unravel the synonyms of O. K. 
Some ten pages of the authors preface are directed at English botanists and practi- 
ces. Out of consideration for them, the author has written this portion of his book in 
what he conceives to be the English tongue. Most English botanists, we fancy, would 
have preferred it in unadulterated German*) — but this is à detail. Dr. Kuntze comments 
on the Kew Index and the Genera Plantarum of Bentham and Hooker are interesting if 
not generous. Indeed the imputation that Bentham "opposed the new international rule, 
S0 as not to be obliged to correct himself innumerable times* is so false and so offensive 
that Dr. Kuntze will henceforth labour under the stigma attaching to those who attempt 
to belittle the Work of greater men than themselves. Dr. Kuntze says, we English are 
not yet fitfor international science*. We shall no attempt to discuss that point, for most 
people know that English botanists have taken a fair share in international science, and 
amongst them none fo so great an extent as Bentham. We are obliged to admit with 
humiliation that in our obstinate persistence in the use of Fahrenheit's thermometer, and 
our utterly senseless system of weights and measures, we lay ourselves open to Dr. Kuntze's 
chastisement. Dr. Kuntze finds us equally guilty in that we do not adopt the inter- 
*) Dr. Masters seems to 
most of English botanists, even 
at all. Surely I ean not be p 
understood also by monoglot E 
see page CCI, where Mr. Pound 
in English. 
be sometimes fanciful As to my experience 
very renowned ones do not understand German 
roud of my English and I used it only to be 
nglishmen; but as to the quality of my English 
pretends that article of minea to be well written 
