210 PITTONIA. 
evident his earlier judgment of its merits was reversed ; for that 
which he soon after set forth as his new scheme’ of Zschscholt- 
zia for the Synoptical Flora was no other than my own scheme 
in every essential particular. Under the circumstances it was 
but human and natural that his adoption of it should be made 
with a certain coldness, and even almost grudgingly. 
To a man inaconspicuous place, the one not prominent might 
well be advised to offer the light of new knowledge warily, and 
privately. Then the enforced acceptance of it—for with fair 
minds evident truth compels acceptance—will possibly be made 
with thanks; but to do this benefaction in print, and publicly, 
is more likely to be received as almost of the nature of an 
affront, and the benefactor may be treated as an offender. To 
no such extreme would the author of the Synoptical Flora be 
carried; and the general coldness of his copying is tempered by 
one or two not unkindly allusions to as many of the very many 
new facts I had brought out. But later, the editor of Gray’s — 
pages used a freedom of adverse comment out of all proportion 
to his own inconsiderable knowledge of these plants’; and in 
the position in which he has publicly placed himself by bis 
supplementary paragraph upon Eschscholtzia he will not be 
envied. Quoting some palaver he has listened to from some 
one whom he calls “cautious”—thus relegating, unwittingly, 
even Dr. Gray to the category of the incautious —he says: “It 
is affirmed by the more cautious California botanists, who have 
taken no partin the discussions relative to this genus that 
plants which early in the season bear large and deeply colored 
flowers are apt later to produce small and paler ones.” 
Now, had the editor given heed to what had been 
printed regarding these things in the Flora Franciscana’ five 
years earlier, he might have been able to say to his informant: 
‘‘But were you not taught all this by Mr. Greene himself? He 
stated this case definitely in the Flora Franciscana.” I say the 
"Proc. Am. Acad. xxii 271, ee 
Syn, Fl. i 467. 
‘Fl. Fr. 285, under Douglasii, crocea and compacta. 
` 
