LINIfEAN S0CI!:TY OF LONDOJT^ 21 



name and a number taken from some list. These are simply 

 traps for the less experienced : it would be difficult to say how 

 many species, varieties, aud forms are scattered about under one 

 number of Nyman or of the ' L 'udou Catalogue.' Such numbers 

 should never be cited by authors ; they are valueless, and, still 

 worse, misleading. It may happen, indeed, that two very similar 

 small plants grow together and get mixed under one genuine 

 field-number ; but my experience is that such mixtures are 

 excessively rare. Though the collector may not ba a profout^d 

 botauist, he has a collector's eye ; aod it is very seldom that he 

 will confuse two plants growing together on one spot at one 

 time. 



All these good collectors number consecutively from 1 to 9999, 

 when they may begin with 1 again. Some collectors number in 

 centuries, aud mark a plant as " Second Phrygian Collection, 

 5th Ceutury,n. 37." This defines the plant ; but lean rarely cite 

 such numbers fully myself ; the citation of the collector's name 

 and his number occupies as much time and printing-space as 

 can be granted. Other collectors, again, have more complex 

 systems, using symbols such as K. to K., or fractions sometimes 

 with three or four figures in the denominator. JSTow some of 

 these systems may be excellent when they are understood ; but 

 there is the same fatal objection to them that there is to some 

 of the systems of giving plants names which involve more than 

 three words (genus, species, and author). The objection is that 

 no one working in botany, except on some very narrow scale 

 (as in working up one species or group), can possibly find time 

 to discover the meaning of, recollect, and cite these numerous 

 complex special plans, however good. The inventor himself can 

 easdy recollect his own plan, because he works that only. I can 

 locate plants readily in my own 23 geographic areas : the geo- 

 graphic arrangement adopted at Kew differs very little from 

 mine ; but I find it impossible to use both without a great deal of 

 care, some expenditure of time, and both maps before me. If I get 

 a plant marked "Quercus Lusitanica {Orientalis) petiolaris,Webh 

 & A. DC. (Boiss. non Benth.)," I must be able at once to turn 

 to the book or books which will explain such naming ; otherwise 

 I shall probably think it more trouble than it is worth to discover 

 the force of it, however excellent. In systematic work nowadays 

 there is no time to spare ; and any prudent author who wislies 

 his work to be of use to others must adopt in that work the 

 customary rules as to form, names, and numbers ; every improve- 

 ment upon the common plan will cause loss of time. 



It is remarkable how much harm is done by the ambition to 

 undertake business beyond one's knowledge. JS^umbers of men 

 who bring home valuable botanic collections cannot leave them 

 alone — they will " arrange " them, and try to put one distribution- 

 number to each " species." They are like exporters of jute or 



