189:{.] MICJIOSCOI'ICAL JOT UN A L. 85 



fish-bones arc plainly visihic. This at once opens a very inter- 

 estinj^ fieltl for investiLjation ; and it will he for fiitnre niicrosco- 

 pists to deterniine the vaiious species of tish shed nnder var\ in<; 

 circumstances — whether thev he trout, rock bass, or emhryonic 

 sturujeon, althoujjh tlie prohahilitv is tliat tear-Hsh are in most 

 instances allied closely to the family of hluefish. However that 

 mav he. a tear is composed, as science tells, of water, minute 

 proportions of salt, soda, phosphate of lime, phosphate of soda 

 and mucus, and when seen under the microscope after evapora- 

 tion a deposit of minute lish-hones are formed by the salines, 

 these arrangintj themselves in lenj^thened cross-lines, as shown in 

 the picture of the human tear under a powerful glass." 



The cut is reproduced exactly on page 84. We have shown this 

 article and cut to several intelligent people, who supposed the 

 statements might l)e true. It is fair to assume that of tiie average 

 newspaper readers, one-half are too igncjr.int of the subject to suc- 

 cessfully question the statements. 



What pleasure an editor can take in thus deceivingthe ignorant 

 classes we are at a loss to know. It is not possible for us to cor- 

 rect the evil he has accomplished, but we can and do denounce 

 such journalism as utterly and inexcusably bad. 



Scientific Names. — Soon after writing the February editorial 

 a good illustration of what was there said about the absurd prac- 

 tices came to our notice in Erythca^ the new botanical maga- 

 zine. 



It seems that Linnieus gave the name Myosurus »i/nin/ns to a 

 little annual commonlv called Mouse-tail. That is, he called it 

 "■ the smallest" mouse-tail — Jiiiuif/nts. But, as a matter of fact, 

 it is the largest of seven species Ijelonging to this genus. The 

 Nabahis altissimus grows from 3 to 6 feet in height. Its name 

 savs it is " the tallest,'' but Nabalns crcpidi7ic7is grows to eight 

 feet in height. The specific names alba and nigra^ as well as 

 others denoting color, are sometimes misapplied. A pnmiinent 

 naturalist recently said to us that he can recommend absolutely 

 no reliance being placed upon such words — they may or may not 

 correspond with some important character of the object. Science 

 is said to be exact knowledge, and \et every beginner must learn 

 not to be misled by such names or he will get into serious con- 

 fusion. And yet what is being done to remedy such unscientific 

 science.' Can we be permitted to correct such blundering? Let 

 the leading botanist of the Pacific coast answer: 



'• In dealing with the second species of Myosurus that was 

 made known, our monographer usesa kind of freedom wiiich is not 

 in oiM^ (lav commonly allowed. Between two names, M. apetalus, 

 which has priority, and J/. a/'/j.7rt'///.v. which is more appropriate, 

 he chooses the latter. * * * It is perhaps true that there 

 is less injustice in rejecting a prior name that is bad than one that 

 is good ; because, it may be said with reason, that no man has a 

 right to impose on a species an unfitname. But the consequences 



