m 



\ 



il was not ripe, aiul I did not afterwards examine it — 

 l)ut I Inncy the genus ought with Endlicher to be merged 

 in Phillyrea not Olea, as by niost bolanists. A. De Can- 

 dolle retaiiis Osmanllius as a distinct genus. You are 

 aware that neither Loiireiro nor Kämpfer had ever seen 

 ihis fruit, and tiiat the latter even states it to be unknown 

 in Japan. — Fruin a few casual observatioiis on soine 

 of ihe trees liere, iiotably such as Bonibax nialabaricuni, 

 which is very reniarkably in this respect — I am inclined 

 to place considerable reliance on Dr. M'Cosh's theory 

 of the similarity in arrangement between branches and 

 leaves — you knovv to what I refer. It was noticed 

 in e.xtenso in the Phytologist, and discussed before the 

 British Association. Benthani's remarks aboiit Zornia 

 (lipliyllä in Hooker's Journal (I niean the absence of 

 pelhicid dots) are inaccurate — as I have satisfied myself 

 by living specimens. I also notice with snrprise that 

 l'aliurus Aubletia is described as unarnied, ils nnmerous 

 spines sometimes exceeding an inch in length. Desmo- 

 (lium gangeticum and D. trifloruni are to be added to 

 üur flora, as well as an Alysicarpus and I dare say a 

 güod niany other plants. Yours etc. etc. 



H. J. Ha nee. 



Dr. Hooker über die Publlkations-l'rage. 

 To the Editor of the Bonplandia. 



Kew Qear London, April 17. 1854. 



The questiou whether priority of publication is 

 secured to a coiiinuinicalion by reading it at a public 

 uieeting of a scienlilic Society has often been agilated 

 in England and has been so generally answered in the 

 negative that 1 think it is now agreed to by common 

 consent. As a rule it should hold that no scientific 

 comniunication is considered as published until printed 

 in a scientific Journal of acknowledged reputalion and 

 considerable circulation in France, Germany and England, 

 or in a separate scientific work which is also published 

 and properly advertised ; the inere reading before a Society 

 does not constitute publication, which implies the 

 matter being at the disposal of the public, which it is 

 not. One of the great objects of a scientific Society is 

 to provide such a Journal and at a moderate cost to 

 insure circulation at as rapid a rate as is consistanl 

 with accuracy and the convenience of scientific men 

 who expect to receive the parts done up in a delinite 

 shape and not in loo small quantities at once. The 

 State of a Society's publications affords in geueral the 

 best criticism of its condition, if flourishing it publishes 

 rapidly and regularly, if declining or slalionary, the 

 contrary ; but as many Communications, and indeed mostly 

 those of the grealest value, cannot be passed llirough the 

 press, still less accompanied with illustrations, without 

 considerable delay, Ihe more flourishing Societies of 

 London now have a double publicalion, namely Proceed- 

 ings and Transactions; of these the proceedings contain 

 an abstract of all papers read at the ineetings and of 

 all other business there conducted, and in it are printed 

 at length short papers not intended for the transactions, 

 and sometimes niiscellaneous matter is added when 

 considered by the Council or Secretary as useful for 

 the members to have. These proceedings, if published 

 at stated intervals, obviate the necessity of a periodical 



issue of the Transactions, which may have be got up 

 to greater advantage in many ways. The Royal Society 

 of London affords the best example of a flourishing 

 Society as now conducted; it publishes monthly an 8vo. 

 part of proceedings which is slainped by Government 

 and transmitted to all members free of cost and to any 

 subscriber at the rate of a few Shillings per annum to 

 Cover the exira cost. It also publishes large qiiarlo 

 transactions copiously illnstrated with lilhographies. 

 The Geological Society of London publishes its pro- 

 ceedings quarterly in the form of thick 8vo. parts, 

 illustrated copiously with maps, lithographed plates and 

 woodcuts; it is issued to all fellows and paid for by 

 them. This Society also publishes quarlo transactions, 

 bnt the nature of its Communications so seldoni requires 

 thesc, that no parts of the transactions have been issued 

 for some years. The (|Harlerly Journal is highly approved 

 of by all the fellows and the Geological world at large; 

 and it would be difficult to make any improvement upon 

 this in the present salisfactory State of ihe Society; it 

 presents one great advantage in obliging the contributers 

 of matter to kecp lo their siibject and not digress or 

 dilate unnecessarily, the Snbscribers naturally objecting 

 to pay for verbiage, the Council of publicalion have to 

 insist upon the papers communicated being as brief as 

 is consistant with fuUness and clearness. The Linneau 

 Society also publishes both proceedings and transactions, 

 but neither appear periodically and the proceedings, not 

 being put up in a cover or other definite form, are 

 often lost or mislaid, besides, being issued at irregularly 

 intervals, they are too often whoUy neglected by tlie 

 fellows. So many of the Communications made to the 

 Linnean Society are botanical and require quarlo plates 

 that it is advisable for this Society to continue its trans- 

 actions, but it would be greatly to its advantage and 

 that of the scientific public in general if the proceedings 

 appeared periodically and conlained all Communications 

 except those which require quarlo illiislralions. AVith 

 regard to the comparative advantage of scienlilic Journals 

 independent of Societies and those conducled liy Societies 

 there cau be no doubt but that public opiiiiou is gieath 

 in favour of the latler when properly conducted. The 

 advantages are the following: 1) their object is defiuitely 

 the cultivation of one brauch of kuowledge, '2) the 

 resources are greater both for diffusing the information 

 (before the meetings, in the proceedings aud in the 

 transactions) and for pnblishing it at a cheap rate and 

 with no loss of time, 3) the Society ithrough its Council 

 of papers) is responsible for the value of its publications. 

 for Ihe originality of the Communications lo a great 

 extent, for their containing no more than is necessary, 

 for the absence of any personal refleclions and tbe 

 inlroduction of any maller that may lead to unseemly 

 discussion, 4) there can be uo donbt but Ihat the wish 

 of every man who has the interest of science at heart 

 is so to bring his Communications before the world as 

 that they should be open to discussion during the time 

 Ihal niust elapse between their being read and published 

 and it is also most advantageous to bim that his comuumi- 

 calion should be exposed to that severe scruliny which 

 it undergoes in Ihe hands of Ihe Council of papers (of 

 a well organized Society) and uhich in so many cases 



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