I'iinisHir FiDKji ill lll'mols. I t«) 



for tilt' simic |»l;iiit as a s|)eci(>s. Shall we luiw w i-itc t lie cai-licst 

 varietal iiaiue as sjx'ciHc. and ((iiotc the tirst botanist as aiitlioi'- 

 ity? The question is not whether the seeond writer shonhl 

 have Hilopted the first name: it is now a ((uestion of choice be- 

 tween two names already in literature. 



The authority after a binomial appellation is cdearly that of 

 the one who associates the generic and specific parts of the 

 name, and applies it, thus constituted, to the designated plant. 

 For phaMiogams there seems to be little need of preserving 

 with the name any further item of hil)liography. The change 

 of genera is not so frequent as to cause serious confusion, and 

 the descriptions are ordiinirily full ami unmistakal)le. Mvcol- 

 ogists, however, find it impoi'tant to (juote the name of the 

 origimil authority for the specific name, agreeing in this with 

 the custom among zoological writers, especially with those who 

 devote themselves to the lower and less known orders of ani- 

 mals. A very considerahle number of the names of fungi 

 must thus be accompanied with two authorities, that for the 

 original sjiecific name occurring first in parenthesis, and that 

 for the binomial Avhole afterward. It is true this decidedly in- 

 creases the ditficulty of writing and of memorizing, but the 

 benefits more than counterbalance the drawl)acks. Certainly 

 it will not answer to quote alone that which, as above, is put 

 in parenthesis, even though by the use of the parenthesis 

 change of genus is indicated. The ])arenthetical reference is 

 dropped by students of phauiogams. and we should, as mycolo- 

 gists, prefer this to the practice of some botanists and zo()lo- 

 gists of omitting the authority for the entire nanu^ as it exists. 



Without further discussion of this often discussed tojuc, 

 the following may be stated as the I)asis of nomenchiture in 

 this pajjcr. 



( 1 ). The use of the oldest specific name known to have 

 been used ^ov \\\e species as such. Varietal names by the older 

 authors, not sul^secpiently adopted by those raising the varie- 

 ties to species, have not been herein perpetuated excejtt in pe- 

 culiar cases. When the vague descriptions of the early writers 

 give no reasonalde i-ertainty of the intended application, prior- 

 itv is not strained to retain tile nauu's. 



