174 EETUEN TO ENGLAND : AND VISIT TO PAEIS 



Geog. district of the species should be mentioned under 

 each. I am sure you can give me vast help in this. 

 My Father thinks they should be published under our joint 

 names, but I expect your kindness will lead you to do so 

 much before I can begin that I scarce see how I shall be 

 entitled to further credit than as a collector ; should you 

 not think my name too presuming, I beg you to under- 

 stand, that I am quite ready to swear to anything you say, 

 to stand Godfather to any names you may insert, and to 

 believe anything except that the French have made better 

 collections than the English. 



As to the question of making new species, he remarks : 



Generally speaking the plants (Jungermanniae) are very 

 distinct from the European ones, though externally, like 

 all creeping Crypts., they look like them. The fact is that 

 all those who now have continued the study of Hepaticae 

 for many years, find that besides the Europ; species 

 having wide ranges, there are plenty more with as wide 

 elsewhere and others that are local too. Taylor has dis- 

 criminated well, but not compared well with other dis- 

 criminators. 



But: 



I am proving all or most of the Lycopodi to be the same. 



As to mere changes of nomenclature : 



I am not the least frightened at your changes of names. 

 I always liked to caU you a slicked algologist, but that is 

 only in comparison with myself. The changes being for 

 the better are signs of your improving ! The greatest men 

 change their minds oftenest; e.g. Brougham, Stanley, 

 Graham,^ and your own dear Don,^ who is a trump in my 

 opinion. 



^ Graham, the Home Secretary of 1845 (see p. 204), was a lesser political 

 luminary than Lord Brougham and Stanley, ' the Rupert of Debate .' 



* David Don (1800-4]), botanist, son of George Don, for some time 

 Curator of the Edinburgh Botanical Garden. Through Robert Brown he was 

 employed at the Apothecaries' Garden, Chelsea, where he became Librarian, 

 and in 1822 succeeded Brown as Librarian at the Linnean Society. In 1836 

 he was appointed Professor of Botany at King's College, London. 



