CITING ANCIENT AUTHORS. 195 



4. T. Californicum. Torreya CaUfornica, Ton. N. Y. 

 Journ. Pliarm. iii. 49 (1853) ; J. M. Bigel. in Pac. R Eep. 

 iv. 24 (1857) : T. Mjjrisiica, Hook. Bot. Mag. t. 4780 (1854). 



H 



in tlie Coast Range and Sierra Nevada. 



California n, 



Ox THE Citing of Ancient Botanical Authors. 



In respect to certniii readings in my Flora Franciscana, I 

 am criticised somewhat as if I were an innovator: tlioiigli 



r 



without having therein taken an inch of ground peculiar to 

 myself ; without having entered upon course of procedure 

 whicli has not been taken by learned and famous botani&ts 

 Rt one time and another within the past century. 



The strictures upon my citation of ancient authors are not 

 as keenly edged as I anticipated they might be, and seem to 

 me to owe what efficiency they have as much to wit as to 

 wisdom, if not more. To my friend Dr. Britton I am under 

 obligations, however, for the freedom, the fullness and the 

 seriousness of his criticism : and, since he seems to have 

 covered Avell all the debatable ground, I shall here reproduce 

 the main portions of it, for the convenience of the reader, 

 who may thus be able to judge whether or not the objections 

 are refuted. Speaking of my pages, Ur. Britton says : 



"Generic names used by pre-Linnsean authors and adopted 

 by Linmeus are credited to the old writers even as far back 

 as Dioscorides and Pliny.'" This is an unfortunate state- 

 ment with which to have opened the criticism of a point, 

 seeing it is not at all true except under very decided and 

 important limitations. The first generic name taken up in 

 my book, Cercis, is of the ancients, was adopted by Linnseus, 

 and is by me credited to Linufeus, not to any ancient author, 



'• Bull. ToiT. Okib, xviii. 159. 



