19G MR. G. BENTHAM ON ETJPHORBIACJwE. 



in Swedish ; and therefore the [Russian name is differently spelt 

 according to which of these languages first presented it in a 

 western form ; another Russian letter is represented in German 

 by seven, and when these are transferred to English they make 

 a most barbarous compound. Where, therefore, the original 

 author of a generic name dedicated to a person has thought it 

 necessary in latinizing it to alter the spelling for the sake of 

 euphony, I can see no reason why the form thus given to it 

 should not be strictly adhered to without attempting to correct it. 

 With regard to names derived from the Greek, Labillardiero 

 and several other botanists of his day, being no Greek scholars, 

 allowed themselves great latitude in the formation of such names, 

 ignoring the classical Latin equivalents of Greek letters, placing 

 the adjective portion of the name after instead of before the sub- 

 stantive part, &c. ; and sometimes the vicious structure of the 

 names is so glaring that one cannot refuse to correct them ; but 

 then great care should be taken to ascertain that the original 

 names were really wrong. As examples of uncalled-for correc- 

 tions, take Argithamnia, Swartz, which has been altered to Argy- 

 rothamnia on the supposition that the first part was derived from 

 apyvpos, silver y whereas Swartz expressly states that it is from 

 apyos (often written apyios), white. Again, Aublet's Roupala 

 has been changed into Bhopala, as being derived from poiraXov, a 

 club ; but for this there is no foundation. Aublet knew nothing 

 of the Greek language, and did not care to have recourse to it 

 for his generic names, which he preferred taking from local ap- 

 pellations. The genus has nothing club-shaped about it ; and there 

 is every reason to suppose that in naming it Aublet followed his 

 usual practice. So, also, Thuarea, Pers., has been altered to 

 Thouarea, as having been named after Thouars, which is not the 

 case. Thouars himself sent the plant to Persoon with the manu- 

 script name of Microthuarea, shortened by Persoon (as he did 

 with other over-long names) to Tkuarea, but afterwards pub- 

 lished ai full length by the original author, with the explanation 

 that it is derived from /iiKpos, small, and dvapos, one of the names 

 of Lolium (see Hedericus): a correction, therefore, to Thyarea 

 might have been plausible, though unnecessary ; but Thouarea is 

 quite out of the question. It is true that, with the addition of 

 micro, one cannot help thinking that the author intended some 

 allusion to his own name (Du Petit Thouars) ; but as he gives 

 another interpretation we are bound, by accepting it, not to charge 



