56 THE JOURNAL OP BOTANY 



A LONG and interesting account of William Gardiner (1808- 

 1848), contributed by Mr. Alexander P. Stevenson to the recent 

 part (xxvi. pt. 2) of The Transactions of the Botanical Society 

 of Edinburgh, contains a note reprinted from Gardiner's Botanist's 

 Bepository which may throw some light on the difficulties attend- 

 ing the verification of George Don's discoveries : The innkeeper 

 at Auchmithie, hearing Don's name mentioned, " pronounced a 

 warm invective against that gentleman, who, he observed, had 

 ruined these trees, for since he had been prowling about there, not 

 a plant worthy of notice was to be seen. I had no reason to 

 doubt mine host's assertion, for I have frequently searched Mr. 

 Don's habitats in vain. I verily believe his plan respecting rare 

 plants was — first to dig up all the specimens he could see, and 

 then note the locality." 



The Second Circular of the International Botanical Congress 

 for next year, issued last month, contains the "program of work" 

 for the Congress, which was defined by the Congress of 1910 as 

 follows : — 



" 1. To fix the starting-point for the nomenclature of {a) 

 Schizomycetes (Bacteria) ; {h) SchizophyceoB (excepting Nosto- 

 caceae ; (c) FlagellataB ; (cZ) Bacillariaceae (Diatomacese). 



" 2. To compile lists of nomina generica utique conservanda 

 for (a) Schizomycetes ; (b) Algae (incl. Schizophyceae, Flagellatae, 

 &c.) ; new lists for groups not included in the list of 1910 and 

 also a supplementary list ; (c) Fungi ; {d) Lichens ; (e) Bryophyta. 



"3. Compilation of a double list of nomina generica utiqtie 

 conservanda for the use of palaeobotanists. 



" 4. Discussion of motions relating to neio points which were 

 not settled by the Eules adopted at Vienna in 1905 and at 

 Brussels in 1910." 



The English members of the various committees for the 

 consideration of these points are — for Mosses, Mr. Antony Gepp ; 

 for Algae, Mr. Gepp and Mr. A. D. Cotton ; for palaeobotany, Dr. 

 Arber, Dr. D. H. Scott, and Prof. Seward. Copies of the Circular, 

 which defines the functions of the various Committees, may be 

 obtained from the General Secretary, Dr. Eendle, to whom 

 inquiries regarding the Congress may be addressed. Dr. Eendle 

 is also a member of the Editorial Committee, " functioning as a 

 Permanent Bureau of Nomenclature." 



The new edition of the Biographical Index of British and Irish 

 Botanists is pi'actically ready for press, and it is hoped that it may 

 be printed before the end of the year. The attention of our 

 readers may be called to the list of little-known British botanists 

 ■which was printed in this Journal for 1912 (pp. 61, 130, 194) in 

 the hope that further information might be forthcoming concern- 

 ing those whose names appear therein. That hope has received 

 but slight fulfilment, and we once more call attention to the list 

 in case there should be some who have not yet forwarded the 

 information they may possess. This should be sent to Mr. Britten, 

 41 Boston Eoad, Brentford, Middlesex, who will also be glad to 

 send a copy of the list to any who may not possess it. 



