HORTUS BOISSIERIANUS. 483 



species, and more specialised in the case of rare or local forms ; the 

 literary references and synouyma are carefully selected ; a list of 

 Vernacular names of the more popular species, in the principal 

 languages of the area of the Si/nopsis, is added after tlie Latm 

 name ; the etymological derivation of the scientific names is given 

 in foot-notes, with almost pedantic care and with scliolarly 

 accuracy ; finally, paragraphs containing critical, explanatory, or 

 historical notes, showing a marvellous familiarity with the respec- 

 tive literature, follow the descriptive text in small print. The 

 author is rather a purist in linguistic questions, and sometimes 

 over-erudite. 



One more feature of the Sijyiopsis must be mentioned. Though 

 not absolutely original, it is a new and very important departure in 

 a work which may be expected to exercise in future a great influence 

 on kindred books, and particularly on local floras. The author says, 

 " The literary reference indicating where the name adopted in this 

 work of a species, subspecies, race or variety appears for the first 

 time, or the so-called author quotation is not placed at the head of 

 the respective description, as hitherto usual, but in the paragraph 

 devoted to the synonymy where, logically, its proper place is. 

 Ernest H. L. Krause {Meddenh. Flora, 8. V.) has been right in 

 pointing out that the old custom, though commendable in itself, 

 has enticed ambitious people to create as many new names as 

 possible, thus injuring the stability of scientific nomenclature." 

 We do not believe that these ambitious people will stop their 

 nefarious practice for a moment, because the author and his school 

 do not quote them at the head of their descriptions, but a few lines 

 lower down. It is, however, gratifying to see that the author 

 quotation is reduced to what it ought to be, viz. a literary reference, 

 and that there is no more talk of "justice" where correctness, 

 precision, and the particular requirements of the case are all that 

 is to be considered. 



More than one flora, undertaken on a base as elaborate and 

 broad as this Synopsis, though pei'haps no one on such modern 

 principles, has been begun within the last decade, and then suddenly 

 collapsed because the author had overrated the working power of an 

 individual. We might fear a similar fate for Ascherson's great 

 Sijnopsis, if we did not know that the preparations for the work 

 have already proceeded far, and that care has been taken to meet 

 eventualities which might otherwise bring it to a sudden close. 



0. Stapf. 



Hortus Boissierianus : Enumeration des Plantes cultivees en 1885 a 

 Valleyres (Vaud) et a la Pierriere (ChambSsy, prcs Geneve) par 

 Eugene Autran et TniopmLE Durand : preface de M. F. Cr^pin. 

 Geneve et Bale : Georg & Cie. Bvo, pp. xi, 572. Price 12 fr. 



This well-printed volume is more than its title implies ; for, 

 besides the enumeration of species, a brief bibliography is attached 

 to each, with a note as to its nativity and distribution, and the date 

 of first publication. The genera are similarly treated, with an 



