268 The Botanical Gazette. [September. 



The answer to the second question, which seems to be addressed 

 to the Gazette, is almost self-evident. There is no self-constituted 

 authority. He only can be recognized as such whose knowledge and 

 aptitude seem to his fellows to deserve the distinction. The judge 

 does not make himself a judge ; he is called to the bench by those 

 who think him qualified to decide nice questions. The Gazette 

 recognized Dr. Engelmann as an authority on the Cactaceae of this 

 country. Why? Not because he proclaimed himself such, but be- 

 cause he knew much about these plants through wide observation and 

 exhaustive study, coupled with a special aptitude for exact and critical 

 research. On a general question, such as that of nomenclature, we 

 recognize as an authority the man who has had experience in untang- 

 ling its knots, and who has shown himself judicious and accurate as 

 well as acute. We distrust an attempt by a novice, even though he is 

 using " his best bibliographic and analytic ability " to decide the ques- 

 tions of nomenclature which may be raised in a list of a thousand 

 species. But the Gazette will warmly welcome the effort of these 

 "young, misguided enthusiasts" to study questions of more limited 

 scope — even questions of nomenclature in restricted groups of 

 plants, provided they take proper pains and time in the study. 



On the other hand, good intentions, independence, and a desire to 

 do something are not enough. The now notorious " Farmer's-Alliance 

 judge " in Kansas 'struggled along', 'doing the best he could', 'differed 

 from an authority' (the Supreme Court), 'honestly' ( no doubt), 'sub- 

 mitted his efforts to the test of time and the correction of wider and 

 abler research,' and — made himself a laughing-stock for the country! 

 So some botanists undertake a jurist's decisions without even legal 

 training, and the result is quite as ludicrous. 



CURRENT LITERATURE. 



A Flora of Texas. 



With the commencement of volume II, the contributions from the 

 National Herbarium take on a new character. Hitherto we have had 

 lists and catalogues of the plants of certain remote regions of our 

 country, with here and there the descriptions of new species of plants ; 

 these have been valuable in their way, but in the present contribution 

 we have not only everything a list would include, but in addition a 

 complete manual, helpful alike to the botanical student who will find 

 in it a guide- and a stimulus, and to the older botanist who has hitherto 



