September 1898] SOME NEW BOOKS 203 



unalloyed satisfaction that Mr Hiern has stepped into the breach by 

 undertaking a full elucidation of Welwitsch's collections. In the 

 second part of the memoir devoted to this object, the one we are 

 here noticing, the interest aroused by the appearance of the first part 

 is fully maintained, as is also the high reputation of the author. Mr 

 Hiern is well known for the painstaking accuracy of all his work ; he is, 

 also, a man whom, in any case when divergency of view is admissible, 

 one would much rather have on one's own side than as an opponent. 

 Moreover, the excellent judgment he displays in making full use of 

 the explorer's notes, gives him an extra claim on our gratitude. True, 

 we have one objection to make in respect of this, an objection which 

 may perhaps seem odd as coming from an Englishman. We think 

 that too much of the memoir is written in our own language. After 

 all, Welwitsch was a German, and the country he so thoroughly 

 explored is a possession of the Portuguese crown. Moreover, a large 

 number of those to whom the work appeals are foreigners. If, 

 therefore, our objection be ruled invalid so far as concerns the 

 notes themselves, we certainly see no good reason for departing 

 from the time-honoured practice of describing in Latin at least the 

 salient features of a new plant. By the use of Latin a person of any 

 nationality at once knows what an author is driving at, and we can 

 only hope that our Bussian and Hungarian brethren will not resort 

 to reprisals ; otherwise troublous times are in prospect. 



Combretaceae occupy the place of honour in the present part; thence 

 we pass on to Myrtaceae, and so through the remaining calycifloral 

 orders to the first order of the Gamopetalae, the Eubiaceae, and with 

 this the part closes. We much like the pithy introductions to the 

 principal orders, wherein geographical data, economic uses, and so forth 

 are skilfully detailed. As regards nomenclature, we are glad to see 

 that Mr Hiern does not lend himself to the extreme views prevalent 

 in some quarters. To most of the changes he introduces no one who 

 admits the advisability of change at all can possibly object. But we 

 must confess that had the original disturber of nomenclature come to 

 us for advice regarding the use to be made of his portentous know- 

 ledge, we should have felt disposed to answer in the words of the lady 

 at the close of Mr Austin Dobson's delightful lovers' quarrel : — 



" I'd say no more about it 

 If I were you." 



But a great deal has been said about it, and much more written, so 

 that one begins to think the best way out of the difficulty to be the 

 adoption of the change as soon as possible. We grieve, though, to see 

 an old and familiar name like Psychotria disappear ; a change involv- 

 ing scores of species, and a large addition to the list of synonyms. 

 And why does Mr Hiern refrain from attaching his name to species 

 now for the first time ranged under some new denomination ? Thus 

 he prints Myrstiphyllum vristatwn (the new name for the old Psycho- 

 tria cristata, Hiern) without appending any authority, and so on 

 throughout the work. 



Oversights are very rare : but such a sentence as this — " Africa is 

 but little favoured with the natural occurrence of Myrtaceae" is far 

 from elegant, though it is only fair to sav that we have found no 



