BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 39 



Eupatonvmpabesrens. Sisyrnhrium officinale. 



" perfolintuin. Liiiuia sulcdtiiin. 



" purpureum. Barbarea vulgaris. , 



Spiroia mlicifdlia. Tnraxacuvi Deii-leonis. 



Krifjia Virginira. Gentuina Andreir!<li. 



Out of bloom I uoticetl quantities o^ Aletrisfnriaosd, Iludsotiia ericoides, Tephrojiia 

 Vivginica, Ilex terticillata, Crntnegiis coctinen^ Cephalantlms oecidentalis. Ampelopsis 

 (/uinqiiefoliii, Coriim florida, Myricd iierifera, c&c, &c. Tliis portion of our little State 

 has not been explored, as evidenced by the fact that I found PcUcuUtris l<ui<:eol(it(i. in 

 abundance by a road-side, although it is not recorded in our flora. In May and June 

 the Cailopogons. Pogouias and Habenarias are superb in Exeter. I hope to do more 

 careful work there. — W. W. Batley. 



Xomp:nclature. — 1 desire to protest against the prevailing abuse of personal 

 nomenclature. Botanical names are for all time, and even if it is of interest to us to 

 know that -Jones discovered a certain plant, future generations won't care a tig whether 

 Tom, Dick or Harry tirst stumbled upon it. Possibly it may stimulate research some- 

 what, and the botanist who abuses it most may gel more new plants thereby, l)ut the 

 work can be done just as well without it. The "holy tires of science in the human 

 breast" cannot be perceptibly dampened by the removal of so selfish a motive. If the 

 collector feels that he must write his name in imperishable letters, let him get a mallet 

 and chisel and hie him to the Pyramids, Give us a name expressive of some salient 

 peculiiinty or of locality or range, but don't, don't call it Smithia Brownii! If the 

 abuse goes on much longer, I verily believe that, before the final hardening of Descrip- 

 tive Botany, the great majority of personal names will be expunged. — D. 



BoTRYCHiuM LUNAROiDES VAU. OBLIQUUM. — lu February number, 1877, notice is 

 taken of Boirycluum Virginianvm with forking spikes. My son. Master George C. 

 Spence, found a B. lunaroides var. ohliquurn with two distinct and entirely disconnected 

 fertile spikes. There was no sacrifice or stinting of parts to produce this extra fruit- 

 age, but on the couti-aiy the effort was followed by an unusual development of beauty 

 and vigor in the plant proper, as the main spike, starting from the usual point, reached 

 the height of fourteen inches, with a fruitage of five and one-half inches inclusive. 

 The extra spike grew on the petiole of the frond, two inches from base of the frond and 

 one inch from main spike. This was nine inches high, with two inches of fruit as 

 large and well developed as is usual in the ordinary plant. There was nothing what- 

 ever to indicate that injury to the plant was the cause of this very unusual develop- 

 ment. — Mrs. E. J. Spekce. 



Variations. — Last spring I found a double flowering Clay tonia; a Ucuhiria grand-, 

 iflora with 8 petals, 8 stamens, 4 stigmas, and a 4-celled ovary; a tulip (in the garden) 

 with 8 petals, 8 stamens and 8 stigmas; a tulip with 8 petals, 13 stamens, 3 of them 

 united to the ovaiy, which was imperfectly 4-celled; another tulip with 7 petals, 7 

 stamens and 3 stigmas, and still another with 5 petals, 7 stamens and 3 stigmas; also a 

 Viola cucullata, the blue flow^ers of which were beautifully striped with white. I have 

 some of them in my garden. — A. Hubregtse. 



Recent Publications. — American Joumtd of Science and Arts, February.— Serene 

 Watson gives a synopsis of the North American species of Fopuhis, and has requested 

 That uoies on any species of Populus, with specimens, be sent to the Herbarium ot Har- 

 vard University, Cambridge, Mass. It will be a benefit to science for all who have 

 such notes or specimens to comply with this request, for by this means Mr. Watson 

 will be able to place the species of this difficult genus upon surer foundation than ever 

 before. '"Specimens may be sent by mail fresh from the tree, without the trouble of 



