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theses. The author has carried out his long-cherished plan of 
taking up a large number of pre-Linnzan genera, going so far 
this time as to use some not adopted by Linnzeus. He says of 
this position that he “is convinced that the day is coming, and 
with a fair rate of speed, when the employing generic names which 
Linneeus substituted for older ones, instead of such as have right 
of real priority, will no longer be thought of by those who name 
priority as a leading principle in plant nomenclature.” In this he 
may be correct, but we must say that the expressions of botanists 
all over the world, during the past few years, appears to us to indi- 
cate that the point of departure for biological nomenclature is be- 
coming more and more firmly fixed at the Linnzean time. 
The book is handsomely printed, typographical errors are few 
and must prove, to those who will use it in its own area, in the 
words of the author « indispensable, at least until some worthier 
treatise shall take its place,” an event which we do not anticipate 
observing in the near future, N. L. 5. 
Juncus marginatus and its Varieties. Frederick V. Coville (Proc. 
Biol. Soc. Washington, 8: 121-128, 1893). 
After an exhaustive study of this species as represented in the _ 
larger American herbaria, Mr. Coville groups the forms under 
J. marginatus type, which ranges from Maine and Ontario to 
Florida and Missouri; /. marginatus aristulatus (J. aristulatus 
Michx., 7. diforus Ell.) occurring from Southern New York to 
Florida, west through the Gulf States to Texas, and northward in 
the Mississippi Valley to Michigan, and found also in Guatemala 
and Brazil, and Juncus marginatus setosus, a new variety, occurring — 
from Kansas and Nebraska: to Arizona and Mexico; aristulatus ; 
18 stated to exhibit a full series of intergrades with the type; in — 
Setosus the full intergradation was not observed. 7 : 
The treatment of these forms made by Mr. Coville is a capital — 
illustration of one method of disposing of them. Another method 
would be to regard them all as species. N. L.B. : . 
Annual Reports of the State Botanist of the State of New York. 
Charles H. Peck (from the 45th and 46th Reports of the New: 
York State Museum of Natural History, pamphlets, pp. 42 
: _ and 69, Albany, 1893). 
