BY J. H. MAIDEN. 517 



439, Nov. 20, 1846, 'Bastard Box of carpenters,'" and the other 

 "No. 614, Nov. 30, 1846, camp 86." 



Then comes Mueller's very full description of E. bicolor, A. 

 Cunn., in Journ. Linn. Soc. iii. 90 (1859), Mueller being then 

 ignorant that F. bicolor, A. Cunn., was a synonym of E. largi- 

 ftorens, F.v.M., described in 1855. 



Bentham accepted E. bicolor, A. Cunn., as having priority, in 

 B. Fl. iii. 214, without comment, reducing^. /an/i/?ore/is, F.v.M., 

 to a synonym. 



Mueller's own quotation of the sj^nonymy is interesting : — 

 ('Eucalyptographia,' under E. largijlorens, F.v.M.). 



" E. largifiorens, F.v.M. (1854); Fragmenta, ii. 58. E. peyidula, 

 A. Cunn., in Steudel (1840); E. bicolor, A. Cunn., in Mitchell 

 (1848)." 



He proceeds to say : — 



'* Preference is here given, in accordance with De Candolle's 

 code, to the name under which this species was tirst defined, and 

 chosen as expressive of the exuberance of its flowers. Of neither 

 of the names bestowed by Allan Cunningham on this species, 

 timely description was given; the pendulous branches suggesting 

 the one name and perhaps the sometimes but often pale colour of 

 the filaments* giving rise to the other unless it was derived from 

 the coloration of the bark." 



I would point out that early descriptions of Eucalyptus and 

 other plants were often vague, and we have had, in some cases, 

 bo appeal to herbarium specimens and other less certain, collateral 

 evidence, to decide what is intended as a species. I frequently 

 hear that conchologists, entomologists and others are in a similar 

 .situation. I think it would place a dangerous power in the 

 hands of any man to enable him to pass over these imperfect 

 descriptions, especially when they are supported, as in the present 

 case, by authentically named herbarium specimens deposited 

 under proper safeguards, in important herbaria. 



* The late Dr. Woolls wrote to me that, in his opinion, the name was 

 given owing to the variation in colour of the filaments. 



