VIII. 



Indexes to Botanical and Zoological 

 Nomenclature. 



THE compilation of indexes by means of which a student can find 

 an accurate reference to the first description of a generic or 

 specific name, entails a devotion to the subject known to but very few. 

 To deliberately determine to spend some fifteen or twenty years of a 

 lifetime in order that other students of science may be spared the 

 time occupied in hunting up descriptions in more or less obscure 

 publications, is a species of insanity that one could only wish were 

 more common. The appearance of the first volume of Mr. Daydon 

 Jackson's index to the genera and species of flowering plants, shows 

 that it is possible to accomplish what appeared at first a hopelessly 

 gigantic task, if one has the requisite energy, is provided with the 

 funds, and is able to devote the greater part of his time to the 

 undertaking. 



In 1840-41 botanists were presented by Steudel with the 

 " Nomenclator Botanicus," a list of plant names then supposed to be 

 of specific value, together with their synonyms. In 1855 

 G. A. Pritzel published his " Iconum Botanicarum Index Locup- 

 letissimus," containing a reference to the first description of all 

 the then known flowering plants and ferns, and he issued a second 

 edition of this work in 1861 ; but botanical literature had grown to 

 such an extraordinary extent by twenty years later that Darwin found 

 to a worker like himself, living far from museums and libraries, that 

 it was a most difficult task to get information as to new species and 

 to the place of publication. He accordingly discussed the matter 

 with Sir Joseph Hooker, who put the idea into form, and made 

 arrangements for the manuscripts to be stored in the Herbarium at 

 Kew. Darwin and his friend George Bentham agreed to supply the 

 funds necessary to ensure the continuous working of the scheme, and 

 Mr. Benjamin Daydon Jackson was chosen to carry it out. Mr. 

 Jackson accordingly, in 1881, started the compilation, arranged for a 

 special staff of clerks to assist him, has carried the work trium- 

 phantly through, and presented botanists with Volume I. (from A — 

 Dend.) last month. ' The successful termination of so grand a work 



1 " Index Kewensis plantarum phanerogamarum nomina et synonyma omnium 

 generum et specierum a Linnaeo usque ad annum mdccclxxxv. complectens 

 nomine recepto auctore patria unicuique plantae subjectis sumptibus beati Caroli 

 Roberti Darwin ductu et consilio Josephi J. Hooker confecit B. Daydon Jackson.'' 

 Fasciculus I. [Aa — Dendrobium] . 4to. Oxonii e prelo Clarendoniano. mdcccxciii. 



