28 ERYTHEA. 
men with zeal to undertake, at their own cost, an important 
work, the responsibilities of which the State is not ready to 
assume. If their University has a number of such energetic 
departments, its future greatness is assured. 
FieLp botanists of the Pacific Coast will be interested in 
knowing that the universities and learned societies of Califor- 
nia propose to ask the Legislature at its next session to appro- 
priate a sum of money sufficient to map a large portion of the 
State, chiefly the valley areas and the adjacent foothills. The 
United States Geological Survey has signified its willing- 
ness to act in conjunction with the State, perform the work, 
and bear half the expense. The Survey Corps has already 
mapped a good part of the high mountain areas in north- 
eastern California, and also part of the Coast Range adjacent 
to the Mt. Shasta region. All towns, hamlets, mines, roads 
and trails, as well as the natural features, are delineated ; and 
these maps show in addition contour lines, the intervals rep- 
resenting 100 or 200 feet, according to the scale. Though 
not made for the special use of botanists they will prove 
extremely helpful to any who may visit the high peaks and 
mountain elevations of those sections. 
New plants in goodly number present themselves for names 
to botanists of the East as well as the West. But how hap- 
pens it that at the East, where it is sometimes thought men 
hold a monopoly of learning and good taste, the plants are 
faring worse than elsewhere in all the world, in respect to the 
proportion of barbarous and ugly specific names assigned 
them? Before me lie certain pages printed at the East last 
November, bearing names and definitions of twelve new 
species. Nine out of these twelve are invested with uncouth 
personal names. Two of them bear the geographical appel- 
lation Texanum. Only one of the whole lot has been blessed 
with an adjective name. At this rate, one is tempted to wish 
that botanical discovery might cease, for a time, until some 
of the botanists should find leisure to acquire a vocabulary 
of Latin adjectives. 
