ON BOTANICAL TERMS. 



The names of the order, tribe, family, section, and domus, all end uniformly 

 in zoology, namely, in ores, es, idee, ince, and ites ; and the advantages of this 

 plan are self-evident. Botany has at length, though tardily, participated in these 

 advantages ; and the honour of having introduced these endings belongs to Lind- 

 ley, who first developed his ideas on the subject in his Key to Structural Botany, 

 published in 1835. Plants, like birds, are there divided into five orders, namely, 

 Exogens (Exogence), Gymnospermens ( Gymnospermenx ) ', Endogens (Endo- 

 genx), Rhizanthens ( Rhizanihenm ) , and Acrogens (Acrogenx). These are 

 divided into tribes, as Monopetalae, Apetalae, &c. These, again, are divided into 

 groups, which terminate in osx ; and each of these are divided into families, 

 the names of which are formed by adding acex to the root of the typi- 

 cal genus. I have, however, thought that acce would be preferable. The 

 inconvenience of the former is not so apparent in the shorter names, as that of 

 the Rose family (Rosacea?), or Pine family (Pinacex), but in some of the 

 longer names, as that of the Willow-wort family ( Epilooiacex ) , the Fig-wort 

 family ( Scrqfulariaceaz),Polypodiacece, Plantaginacew, &c, we should feel relief 

 from the omission of a vowel. It would be far less convenient to call the Willet 

 family Silviadem than Silviadx, or the Finch family Fringillidece than Fringil- 

 lidm ; and if this is acknowledged in zoology why not, also, in botany ? Several 

 persons who are willing to adopt the improved nomenclature complain of its incon- 

 venience ; and certainly I do not see why any unnecessary difficulties should be 

 thrown in the way of any one. These remarks may not be without their utility, 

 and therefore I submit them to the botanical readers of The Naturalist, which, 

 like every other equally promising Naturalist, has my hearty good wishes. 



C. T. W. 



FOOD OF THE HEDGE COALHOOD (Pyrrhula vulgaris, Tern.) 



With me the Bullfinches (your Hedge Coalhood) are very destructive, parti- 

 cularly to the Plum trees, Apples, Medlars, &c. It is the blossom-buds that are 

 chiefly preferred. I have dissected dozens of these birds, and have never found 

 any remains of insects in the crop or stomach. They are here very numerous, 

 being fostered by the extensive plantations I have made ; and I am obliged (reluc- 

 tantly I must say) to make war on them every spring. 



P. J. Selby. 



