50 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



changed to H. dubiuin and Betula alba to B. verrucosa. Re- 

 specting this practice we may quote Asa Gray. He says : 

 " Before Linnaeus introduced the binomial system, the names 

 of species were at once names and characters. In separating 

 these two things Linnaeus rendered a great service ; and we 

 should be careful to preserve this advantage." De Candolle 

 says : " A name is a name ; characters are characters ; the 

 succession of names is synonymy. To mingle such different 

 ideas leads to confusion." 



Mr. Hanbury himself very wisely rejects the more 

 modern name of Hicracium melanoccphaluin, Tausch, and 

 retains Hieraciinn alpinum, Linn., but gives to the latter in 

 his monograph such descriptive characters as may prevent 

 one from confusing the closely allied members of the Alpine 

 group with it. In this therefore he has amended or enlarged 

 the description of the Linnean species, but has not altered 

 the name. It is to be hoped that in another edition Mr. 

 Hanbury will keep a firm hand upon his coadjutors, so as to 

 prevent departure from a consistent plan, such departure 

 being a transgression of the laws of nomenclature. 



The names of several genera can scarcely be retained if 

 strict priority be enforced : for instance Radiola, Roth, Specu- 

 laria, Heist, Nasturtium, Br., Armeria, Willd., can scarcely 

 claim priority over Millegrana, Adans., Legouzia, Dur., Roripa, 

 Scop., and Polyanthemum, Medik., 1791. Our plants would 

 be Millegrana Radiola (L.), Polyanthemum Anneria (Willd.), 

 and var. planifohum (Syme). 



Among specific names which also have priority, but whose 

 claim is not acknowledged in the " Kew Index," is Carex 

 diandra, Schrank, 1782, which is older than C. teretiuscula. 

 Why a new name is coined for C. stricta when there are 

 others older available, I cannot understand. C. data, All., 

 or C. mclanocJiloros, Thuill., might have been chosen. There 

 is already a Carex elata, Lowe, from Madeira, which will re- 

 quire a new name (C. Loweii might be chosen) if C. elata, 

 Allione, be adopted for C. stricta; and C. turfosa, Fr., will 

 have to sink to a var. of C. elata, All., as var. turfosa (Fr.). 

 At any rate C. Hudsonii can only exist as a synonym. 



A better arrangement for the varieties which have been 

 placed under Ranunciilus acris would be var. a Borcsanus 



