110 ERYTHEA. 



seum at Berlin, have recently drawn up a code of rules for their 

 guidance in nomenclature. These rules (prefaced and annotated) 

 were published in the Notizblatt for June. As they have been 

 reprinted in Flora, in the Bulletin de L' Herbier Boissier (with 

 criticism by John Briquet), in i\\Q Journal of Botany (with criti- 

 cism by James Britten), in the Botajiical Gazette (with criticism by 

 B. L. Robinson) and in the Bulletin of the Torrey Club (with criti- 

 cism by N. L. Britton), we content ourselves with a very brief 

 summary of the more important points: Priority is, in general, to be 

 a fundamental principle in the choice of names ; initial date to be 

 tlie years 1753-4. A generic name not in general use for fifty 

 years after its establishment, shall be dropped unless taken up in 

 large floras or monographs. Generic names, once synonyms, 

 should not be used again in an altered sense. A species transferred 

 to another genus must there retain its oldest specific name with the 

 name of the author of the specific part in brackets. All specific 

 names should be written with small letters except those derived from 

 personal names and those which are substantives. Avoid tautolog- 

 ical binomials, as "Linaria Linaria." The most significant feature 

 of the rules is that, in most cases, exceptions are allowed. Here 

 the critics — at least some of them. But whether one conscientiously 

 follow rules which admit of exceptions, or whether one interpret 

 and apply absolutely rigid laws, according to personal judgment, 

 does not seem to matter vastl}^, for in either case there will, per- 

 force, be failure to secure "uniformity" in names, so long as every 

 botanist is equally privileged to sit in judgment. 



