THE LONDON CATALOGUE OF BRITISH PLANTS 107 



THE LONDON CATALOGUE OF BRITISH 

 PLANTS. 9TH ED. 



[MR. DRUCE'S paper in our last issue (Jan. 1896) has 

 elicited criticism from two of those most competent to discuss 

 such vexed questions, and Mr. Druce has himself forwarded 

 a few corrections and supplementary remarks. All these 

 we print ; but a discussion of the subject would tend to 

 occupy so much of our space, while lying outside the limits 

 of Scottish Botany, that we cannot resume it in further issues. 

 The importance of reaching a well established and generally 

 recognised nomenclature is acutely felt by all interested in 

 systematic Botany and Zoology ; but as to how best to 

 secure it opinions differ widely. Let us never forget in the 

 pursuit that the true aim of classification is to ensure 

 accuracy in our work and true conceptions of the relationships 

 of the objects of our study ; and that while it becomes 

 necessary at times to abandon familiar names, to do so 

 except on very clear evidence of the necessity only intro- 

 duces uncertainty and adds to difficulties already sufficiently 

 formidable. EDS., A.S.N.H.] 



NOTES ON THE LONDON CATALOGUE. 9th ed. See " Ann. 

 Scot. Nat. Hist," pp. 38-53 (1896). G. C. DRUCE. 



I find that there are a few misprints which I omitted to 

 correct in my paper of the above date which it will be well 

 to rectify. P. 42, 1. 13, for " Rafinisque " read " Rafinesque " ; 

 p. 43, 1. 8, for " Haas " read " Huds." ; p. 47, L 2 from bottom 

 of page, for " arvensis" read " palustris " ; p. 50, 1. 24, Legousia 

 is an older spelling of the name Legousia than Legousia. 



On p. 4 1 , lines 1 7- 1 8, for " this plant " read " L. aristatum" 

 In the " Kew Index " Loliuni linicoluni, A. Br., is placed under 

 L. perenne. Richter keeps it as a distinct species, but gives 

 an earlier name, L. complanatum, Schrad, " Neues Journ.," iv. 

 p. 73 ; but the date is I 8 10 according to the "Kew Index," not 

 1799. Nyman keeps it distinct both from L. perenne and 

 L. multiflorum, as L. remotum, Schrank. P. 52, lines 9 and 

 10 from bottom, Potamogeton perfoliatus, var. lanceolatus, 



