OF ASPIDIEAE 125 
So much for .his description. Now what are the contents of 
this clearly defined genus with their modern equivalents, for it 
should always be borne in mind that a genus is a group of related 
species, not a definition or a description. We cite the species in the 
exact order of publication : 
1. WV. acrostichoides = Polystichum acrostichotdes. 
2. XN. thelypteroides = ? 
( = Dryopteris Noveboracensts, fide D, C. Eaton). 
3. WV. marginale = Dryopteris marginals. 
4. NV. punctilobulum = Dennstaedtia punctilobula. 
5. WV. bulbiferum = Filix (Cystopteris) bulbifera. 
6. N. filix-foemina = Asplenium filix-foemina. 
7. N. asplenioides = Asplenium filix-foemina. 
8. NV. cristatum = Dryopteris cristata. 
9. NV. tenue = Filix (Cystopteris) fragilis. 
10. NV. rufidulum = Woodsia Ilvensis. 
11. V. lanosum = Cheilanthes lanosa. 
12. N. Dryopteris = Phegopteris Dryopterts. 
Surely this is a parody on ‘‘a more clearly defined”’ genus, 
judging from the mélange which Richard, its founder, placed in it, 
containing among its twelve species representatives of no less 
than eight well recognized genera, now distributed among four 
distinct tribes! No comment is necessary, and we could only 
wish for our friend that he were one tithe as anxious to establish a 
rational basis for nomenclature as he is to antagonize the ‘‘ Roch- 
ester advocates’ at whatever cost of consistency or good judg- 
ment. * 
In connection with Mr. Davenport’s statement that Nephrodtum 
has been in use for nearly a century, we might say, lest his state- 
ee oe 7 poe for eee 
* As a further illustration of misleading statements that occur in works supposed to 
ene A the weight of authority, the following comment on Nephrodium is cited from John 
Smith ( Histori. Filicum, 206-207): ‘* This genusas originally characterized embraced 
Species with both free and anastomosing veins, the technical character consisting in all 
having areniform indusium. Schott restricted the genus to the species having anastomos- 
'ng veins only.’’ It is very probable that John Smith, like many another fern writer, 
never actually took the trouble to look inside Michaux’s Flora, but assumed that because 
the great Hooker included both types in the genus that this was the condition in the 
Original, Of the original twelve species described by Richard all are free-veined, 
and among the variéty of indusia represented only two species have reniform ones and 
Some have none at all ! 
