278 TITE JOURNAL OF EOTAXT 



is written. The book, too, is of value as an example of what ma}^ be 

 done with regard to our common British plants ; there is a gratifying 

 absence of theorizing, and an allusion — ^rare in present-day literature — 

 to the reverence due to '' the Scheme of Creation and its Creator." 



BOOK-NOTES, NEWS, etc. 



Os p. 62 we protested against what we ventured to call the per- 

 verted form of industry which finds its outlet in the creation of 

 "new combinations" in nomenclature based solely upon literature; 

 and we cited in support of our protest examples from the publications 

 of Mr. Oliver Atkins Farwell. In his J^Tofes on ike Michigan Flora, 

 ii., just to hand, Mr. Farwell pursues his unfortunate practice, which, 

 as we before remarked, can only result in the addition of new and 

 still-born names to our already over-burdened nomenclature. On 

 p. 301 he writes : '* Phceocephalum Ehrh. {Triodon Pers. and BhyncJio- 

 spora Yahl) appears to be the oldest name for the genus" — a 

 statement which is followed by the creation by seven " n. comb." 

 It will be observed that he gives no reference to Ehrhai*t ; the name 

 (which, of course, finds no place in the Kew Index) appears in the 

 Index to Ehrhart's PhijiophyJacium published in his Beitrdge, iv. 

 146, where and on the label attached to the specimen it stands as 

 " Ph^ocephalum : Schoenus fuscus Linn." As is well known, 

 Ehrhart was accustomed to attach one-word names to the plants dis- 

 tributed in his exsiccata, but there is no reason for supposing that he 

 had any intention of claiming for them generic rank, nor could any 

 one familiar with the Beitrdge ever entertain the notion : thus 

 in the decas of which BlicBocepliaUim is the first, appear : 

 " 6. Polyglochln. Carex dioica Linn. 



7. Ps;. llophora. Carex pulicaris Linn. 



8. Leucogloehin. Carex Leucogloehin L." 



Can it be supposed for a moment that Ehrhart intended to establish 

 a genus on each of these species ? 



Cano?^ Johx Vaughax has done well to bring together in a 

 volume which takes its title fi'om the first of them — The Music of 

 Wild Flowers (Elkin Mathews, 8s. Qd. n.) — the essays, "contributed 

 to various journals and magazines, which illustrate the interest and 

 delight to be found in the pursuit of botany." The aspects dealt 

 with are very various — most are associated with some locality with 

 Avhich the author has special acquaintance — Winchester, his present 

 residence ; the Suifolk shore ; St. Aldhelm's Head, Suiiolk ; the New 

 Forest and other parts of Hampshire : others deal with special groups — 

 daffodils, fritillaries, climbing plants, the flora of our railways ; or 

 with the plants of various seasons — the woods in May, winter foliage, 

 and early spring. The present writer is reminded by the Canon's 

 graceful acknowledgement that the pleasant essay on Fuchs's Herbal 

 was due to his fortunate suggestion. The essays are attractively 

 written and well-informed : occasionally we think the information 

 might be more definite — e. g. the author of the " old list of Hamp- 

 shire plants mad<? in the eighteenth century " and the })lace of its 



