1 04: BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. 



den under our zoological and botanical nomenclature known only 

 to those who are intimately acquainted with the annals of scien- 

 tific life in its social as well as its professional aspect."* 



I hope I am not at this day entirely alone in my appreciation 

 of the extreme appropriateness of this time-honored custom, 

 although I know that many of our too matter-of-fact naturalists 

 are disposed to abandon it, and that it is losing much of its former 

 significance. In fact, in these days of unstable nomenclature, 

 such tributes are often very evanescent. It seems fortunate that 

 the names of some of the most honored of the early naturalists 

 are perpetuated in well established generic and specific combina- 

 tions, f 



When I see the Linncea borealis, I am always reminded 

 of the sage of Upsala, as he is represented in the famous 

 Amsterdam painting, clad in Lapland fur, and holding a 

 spray of that graceful arctic plant. Magnolia and Wistaria 

 call up the venerable professors of botany at Montpelier and 

 Philadelphia. Tradescautia virginica reminds me of John 

 Tradescant and the Ashmolean Museum, whose beginnings 

 were gathered by him in Virginia. The cape jessamine 

 (Gardenia), the spring beauty (Ciaytouia), the partridge 

 berry (Mitchella) , the iron weed (J'er/tonia), the $htcrcus 

 Bartramii (^J^. heteropliylla) , the Scarus Catesbyi, Fiia- 



i 



* Seaside Studies in Natural History, p. 25. 



fThe genus Harriotta has been dedicated by Goode and Bean to the 

 memory of Thomas Harriott. It is intended to embrace a long-rostrated 

 chimseroid fish from deep water off the Atlantic coast of North America. 

 The description is not yet published. " Heriot's Isle," named for Harriott 

 by the early explorers, and shown upon Vaughan's map. in Smith's 

 " Generall History of Virginia," has entirely disappeared. It was situati- 

 on the north side of Albemarle Sound, about midway between Roanoke 

 Island and the mouth of Chowan river. Whether it has been swept 

 away by the tides, or has become a part of the main-land, it is difficult to 

 say. The latter supposition seems the most probable, and since it is 

 in all likelihood " Reed's Point" which now occupies its former location, 

 the propriety is suggested of calling this little cape, 'Harriott's Point." 

 in memory of the explorer. 



