228 



CO^^TEIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



majority of cases, tlio few changes made being on account of an 

 earlier known valid name or homonym. 



In synonymy, also, both as to genera and species, a strictly exhaust- 

 ive list has not here been attempted. There arc instances where 



mis 



leading unless accompanied by extensive explanations. Thus, this 

 same genus Coscinodiscus is wholly or jiartly synonymous with Sym- 

 bolophora Ehrejdj., Endyctia Ehrenb., Odontodiscus Ehrenb., Hetero- 

 stephania Ehrenb., Cestodiscus Grev., Cosmiodiscus Grev., Stoschia 

 Jan., Janischia Grun., Micropodiscus Grun., Willeinoesia Castr., Eth- 

 modiscus Castr., etc. To enter into a discussion of the intersecting 

 boundaries of all these untenable genera and discuss the reasons for 

 their abandonment would be (piite foreign to the purpose of tliis 

 report. Witli species the synonyms are even more abundant. Thus, 

 for example, Actinocydus eJirenhcrgii Ralfs has 



somew 



synon^mis. Manifestly to give in 



full this and similar lists in a 

 work of this kind would be to obscure rather than to aid the pur- 

 pose here in hand, namely, a report of the Diatomaceae found by 

 the steamer Albatross. Therefore, as has been stated, a strictly 



attempt 



In a 



few instances where the number is abnormally large the writer has 

 omitted tliose Avhich are so trivial and obscure as to give no promise 

 of being useful in the future study of these plants. 



The generic and specific namc^s assigned are given according to the 

 rules now generally prevailing hi botanical nomenclature. This has 

 necessitated in some instances the substitution of obscure and inap- 

 propriate names for those universally known and recorded among 

 living diatomists. The writer feels it to be a grave misfortune, for 

 which some remedy should be found, that no alternative is proviiled 

 in these cases. At this time, when the much-needed systematizing 

 of our nomenclature is l)eing attempted and drastic measures are being 

 taken^ to that end, it should be possible by the concurrence of liv- 

 ing diatomists (th(^ number of whom is nai great) to agree to the 

 preservation of a few classical names, and es])ecially the names of 

 certain genera by making them exempt from these changes. This 

 would save the most valuable works of the science from being unin- 

 telligibk' to future students, and would in no wise interfere \dth the 

 application of strict rules to new cases in the future. The genera 

 and species needing this exception are so few as to make this sugges- 

 tion whohy practicable, and the ^^'v{tQY sincerely trusts that some 

 scheme will be devised to retain certain names universally known to 



