706 president's address. 



I think, therefore, some of these old Linnean rules are some- 

 what fanciful and of no real value, simply adding to the pitfalls of 

 botanical nomenclature and giving the literary person oppor- 

 tunities of annoying the botanist by his unnecessarj' criticisms 

 and interference. 



The following is taken from the ' Additions to the Berlin Rules 

 of Nomenclature,'* where it is laid down : — 



" All names of species are to be written small, except those 

 derived from names of persons. (Examples : Ficus indica, 

 Opuntia ticus-indica but Isachne Buettneri)." 



Engler remarks in regard to this rule, " Though he has signed 

 the rules it goes against his feelings to write those specific names 

 which are genitives of nouns with small letters. He would prefer 

 to write Paccinia Malvacear am, Aecidiwni Berheridis, instead of 

 Puccinia incdvacearam." These genitives seem to be confined 

 to Mycology only, and while it seems to go against the grain 

 to write small letters in these instances, I recommend the 

 adoption of the Berlin Rule. One reason of my adhesion to 

 this additional Berlin Rule may seem comical, — although I have 

 tried over and over again, my pen refuses to write muelleri, 

 benthami, and so on. It hurts nw feelings to have a dis- 

 crepancy in this case between botanical and ordinary literary 

 practice. 



The additional Berlin Rule deals with geographical adjectives, 

 which are to be written with small letters. Those who prefer to 

 write specific names derived from names of persons with capitals 

 may object to writing the geographical names with small letters, 

 but in practice comparatively few do, and I hope the Berlin Rule 

 will be followed. 



There seems to me an actual difference in the meaning of 

 geographical and personal specific names. For example, i<iniiatrana 

 is intended to convey that the plant occurs in Sumatra; the use 

 of the name Jonesii is frequently onl}'^ a compliment paid to a 



* Op. fit., p. G86. This modifies No. 8 of the original Berlin Kules. 



