SHORT NOTES. 353 



acute spur many times longer than the lip. The hybrid — for such 

 it evidently is — has rose-purple flowers, but the spur is stout, and 

 only twice as long as the lip, which latter organ is about inter- 

 mediate in shape ; the leaves also are intermediate in shape ; but 

 the spike closely resembles that of G. alhida. Such a hybrid has 

 already been recorded by Hegelmaier in 1864, under the name of 

 Gymnadenia coiiopsea X alhida {^(Esterr. Bot. Zeitschr,, 1864, pp. 102- 

 104), and by Kerner, a year later, as G. x Schweinfurthii [Verhandl. 

 ZooL-Bot. Gesellsch. in Wien, xv., p. 213, t. 5, fig. 15-16). It was 

 found by Dr. Hegelmaier in July, 1863, in the Austrian Alps, and 

 the Scotch plant is evidently substantially identical. The discovery 

 is very interesting, and it seems probable that it might be found 

 in other localities, where the two species occur intermixed, if 

 searched for."] 



Lathyrus Aphaca in CAMBRiDGEsmRE. — In Mr. West's notes on 

 Cambridgeshire plants (p. 246), it is stated that Lathi/riis Aphaca 

 has disappeared from its Cambridge localities. Through my friend 

 the Eev. H. P. Reader, I possess a specimen of this plant collected 

 at Hills Road, Cambridge, in July last, by Mr. A. H. Evans. It 

 may of course be only a casual in this station. — A. B. Jackson. 



An Insufficient Abbreviation. — I have more than once pointed 

 oat that when two contemporary botanists have almost precisely 

 similar names, the only way of avoiding confusion is to write each 

 name in full. Yet our American confreres persist in abbreviating the 

 name of one of their most distinguished botanists in such a manner as 

 to render it indistinguishable from that of one who — if priority is 

 to govern this as it is supposed to do most other matters connected 

 with nomenclature, and especially American nomenclature — may 

 claim to have been first in the field, although he would not presume 

 to enter into competition on any other ground. 



A recent paper by Dr. Terraciano in the Contribuzioni alia 

 hiologia vegetale (vol. ii. fasc. 2, 1898) gives an excellent example of 

 what is likely to happen if this course is persisted in. Dr. Terraciano 

 cites in his text " Ceiba boliviensis Britt.," and adds in a footnote, 

 " Britt. in Mem. Torrey botanical Club, vi. 1896, p. 11." No one 

 could possibly suppose from these citations that two different 

 botanists were indicated ; but such is the case. Ceiba boliviensis 

 was published in a joint paper by Mr. E. G. Baker and myself, 

 printed in this Journal for 1896 (p. 174) ; but the paper quoted in 

 Dr. Terraciano's footnote is by Dr. N. L. Britton.* 



The saving of space effected by the omission of two letters 

 is very small, and the resultant gain cannot compensate for the 

 inconvenience which must arise (and has already arisen) from the 

 employment of an abbreviation which applies equally to both 

 names — an abbreviation which, moreover, breaks the only rule 

 laid down by De Candolle on this head,^" and is not countenanced by 

 either of the botanists to whom it equally applies. — James Britten. 



* Although Dr. Britton cites the species as of " Britten," it should of course 

 be quoted as of "Britten & Baker fil." 



