O PEOCEEDINGS OF THE 



as recommendations. A veto is put on the use of the binary form 

 for subspecific or varietal names. 



Publication is restricted to the sale or public distribution of 

 printed matter or indelible autograph ; the issue of sets of plants 

 with numbers does not constitute publication. On and after 

 January i, 1908, new names will not be valid unless accompanied 

 by a latiia diagnosis, and the same time limit is put on the accept- 

 ance of plates with analyses but without description. Precision in 

 publication is emphasized by two recommendations, as to the 

 accurate dating and paging of reprints from Journals. 



Priority of place is not recognized ; to the original article of 

 A. De CandoUe, which provided that for names of the same date 

 the author chooses which he will adopt, the new code adds " and 

 this choice cannot be modified by subsequent authors." 



In the case of transference of names the Congress upheld the 

 principle of 1867, which insisted on the retention of the original 

 name ; a genus, species, or subspecies must retain its generic, 

 specific, or subspecific name, in case of transference, provided its 

 rank is unaltered. Betula incana, Linn. f. (1781), when trans- 

 ferred to the genus Ahms, becomes Alnus incana, Willd. (1805), 

 in spite of an earlier name under Alnus, viz. A. lanuginosa, Gilib. 

 (1792). Where, however, the rank changes in the transference 

 this rule is not insisted on ; thus Primula veris, L., var. acaulis, 

 L. (1753), is written P. vulgaris, Huds. (1762), since the latter 

 combination is earlier than Primula acaulis, Jacq. Where, how- 

 ever, a transference leads to tautology, the resulting combination 

 is rejected; botanical nomenclature thus becomes freed from 

 absurdities such as Linaria Linaria. 



The articles of the old code dealing with the alteration or 

 rejection of names were made more stringent ; a name cannot be 

 rejected on account of the existence of an older homonym which 

 by general consent is regarded as non- valid — the principle of 

 "once a synonym always a synonym" is not accepted. IN or, as 

 was allowed under the old code, may a name be rejected because it 

 is obviously unsuitable : a name is a name, and once given cannot 

 be altered unless it is contrary to rules. 



The last article of the code provides that the rules of nomen- 

 clature may be altered only by competent authors at an expressly 

 convened international congress. Several recommendations are 

 appended urging the exclusive use of the metric system for weights 

 and measurements and the Centigrade method of expressing 

 degi-ees of temperature; and authors are requested to indicate 

 clearly the scale employed in their illustrations. 



The speaker expressed the hope that the new code would lead 

 to uniformity of nomenclature, and thereby save much valuable 

 time for workers in systematic botany, as well as add to the con- 

 venience of botanists generally. 



The discussion M'as opened by the A'ice-President in the Chair, 

 and carried on by Dr. Stapf, Lieut.-Col. Prain,Mr. John Hopkinson, 



