278 The Scottish Natwalisi. 



possible that Iceland, Bear Island, and even perhaps the Shetlands and 

 Orkneys are remains. The European nature of the Greenlandic Flora is 

 remarkable, and shows that the separation from America, though slight, 

 yet must have been of long continuance. 



In our last number we noticed the International Horticultural Exhibition 

 and Botanical Congress to be held at Florence in May next. It may be 

 useful to some of our readers if we now inform them that the Italian Rail- 

 way Companies have promised a reduction of 50 per cent, on the carriage 

 of persons and things to and from the Exhibition, and that the Railway 

 Jompanies of other countries it is hoped will also reduce their fares. Every 

 ountry will be represented at the Exhibition, even such distant ones as 



izil, Australia, Mexico, etc. We shall be happy to give any of our 

 readers who think of sending objects for exhibition, or of being present, 

 farther and later information contained in the Bulletin Circulaire, to be 

 issued from time to time. 



"The Object and Method of Zoological Nomenclature," by 

 Dr. Sharp. — In our last number we alluded to this interesting pamphlet. 

 The author first traces the origin of the binomial system of nomenclature 

 instituted by Linne, discusses the advantages and disadvantages of that 



lem, treats of the giving of names to new species, and of the identifying 

 of species already named (but regarding whose names there is some doubt), 

 as well as the advisability or non-advisability of the naming of varieties. The 

 chief point however is a suggestion that the name of a species should be 

 considered to be the generic and specific appellations which were first 

 applied to it, and that these two words together constitute the name of the 

 species and are inseparable, and that in speaking of a species it will be 

 sufficient to mention it by its earliest name (thus defined). In classifying 

 and cataloguing species they should be arranged under their proper (modern) 

 generic names, the name of the species (consisting of two words as men- 

 tioned above) remaining however intact. For example, Linne named a 

 beetle Scarabceus typhosus, which is now placed in the genus Minotaurus, 

 and would usually be termed Minotaurus typhosus. Dr. Sharp would, 

 however, retain the name Scarabceus typhosus in speaking of the insect, but 

 in cataloguing it would place it in the genus Minotaurus, still however 

 retaining the two words Scarabceus typhosus as the name of the species. In 

 this manner the author thinks that the difficulties which are daily accumu- 

 lating around biological nomenclature may be lessened. For the arguments 

 he uses and the propositions set forth we refer the reader to the pamphlet, 



e perusual of which we recommend to every biologist. 



" A Monograph of the British Annelids — Part I. — The Nemer- 

 teans." — We congratulate the author, our contributor, Dr. MTntosh, and 

 the Ray Society, on the production of this work. It will increase the 

 r iputation which the author has already attained as a naturalist of the first- 

 class, and it will make the public more confident that the Ray Society is 



ing its proper work. The first 150 pages or so are devoted to a considera- 

 tion of the anatomy, physiology, etc., of the Nemerteans, and the rest of 

 the volume to descriptions of the genera and species. Ten large plates 

 (nine of them coloured) illustrate the work, and are chiefly from the 

 exquisite drawings of the author's lamented fellow-worker and sister, to 

 whose memory this invaluable work is appropriately dedicated. 



