302 Recent Literature. [zoe 



principally occupied by extracts from Kuntze's reviewers and 

 his own comments on the extracts. Only these last are of much 

 interest, most botanists having already read the criticisms in 

 whole or in part. The notes by Kuntze thereon show a great 

 deal of bitterness against unfriendly reviewers and a profusion of 

 abusive epithets which by withdrawing attention from the argu- 

 ment do harm instead of good. He argues throughout from a 

 legal point of view, taking the position that all botanists should 

 be firmly bound by the Paris Code, until that code itself shall be 

 rejected or altered by a thoroughly representative congress. In 

 this light his arguments are fairly consistent, but it is a fact 

 which no one can deny that quite a number of influential 

 botanists did not fully agree at the time with the Paris Code, and 

 that the practice of many others has diverged quite widely from 

 it. So far in the world's history a law is respected in direct 

 proportion to the power for its enforcement. At present this 

 power does not exist, and can only come by organization and 

 the election of delegates who shall represent all botanists and be 

 able to make rules acceptable to the greatest number. 



The numerous signs proposed for use in an international sys- 

 tem of botany would be a tax upon memory which most botan- 

 ists would find very wearisome. 



The last thirty-three pages are occupied b}' a " Codex 

 Nomenclaturae Botanicae emendatus ab. Otto Kuntze," printed 

 in parallel columns in German, Knglish, and French. It is 

 founded on the Paris Code, but with many alterations often to 

 its improvement. A few extracts will serve to show the spirit of 

 these: 



" New names based on synonyms are sufiiciently characterized 

 by the synonyms " [but in such cases the synonyms should 

 always have been well characterized]. 



" A deviation from strict priority is necessary for genera 

 published on the same day and united afterward." (The genus 

 first receiving species after 1753 to be valid.) 



"The annulments and alterations of the existing laws shall 

 have no retroactive force and shall be applicable only to new or 

 subsequently renewed denominations after the date of the publi- 

 cation of the resolution concerned passed by the competent 



