rv rsTEODucnoN. 



sometimes impossible. Exhanstive descriptions are, therefore, indespensable 

 for us to wliom herbarimn specimens for comparison are not sufSeient and 

 types ai-e practically iuaccessible. 



Descriptions of new species ought to be accessible to all lx)tanists and 

 are uecessaiy, except in the case of those of certain circulation of which types 

 are at hand. Moreover, type-specimeus are uot things which cau be widely 

 distributed ; tliey may be rare, or eveu extinct. Descriptions, however, when 

 pubhshed, can be easUy obtained, and the excuse of inaccessibility is not 

 admissible. Accordingly, origiual descriptious should be so exhaustive that 

 they may be substitutes for type-specimens and tliat one cau work witli 

 descriptions iu cases where the tj-pes ai-e not available. In this sense, Easteru 

 botanists are in no more urgent need of exhaustive descriptions of plants of 

 wMch types ai-e presei-ved iu Westem herbaria, than AVestem botauists are 

 of those of which types are preseiTed in Eastern herbaria. The same can 

 be said of all botanists either with reference to diiferent countries or to 

 difierent herbaria. It is also much to be desired that the multiphcation of 

 type-specimens proposed by Swingel* should be can-ied out by aU botanists 

 who have to descrite new species. Though the disti-ibutiou of merotypes is 

 most impoiiant for taxonomic botany, yet it is fai' too difficult, and in some 

 cases impracticable, to make it obUgatoiy on aU authoi-s of new species. 



Descriptious might be very shoii so long as the species belonging to 

 the same geuus were few in number. As the species iucrease year after 

 year through the exploration of uew ten-itories or otlier causes, descriptions 

 wiU tend to become fuller aud more exhaustive. In such cases, origiual 

 descriptions of two or tln-ee liues only for the sake of priority should be 

 absolutely avoided. 



It is much to be desti-ed tliat the foUowing resolutious should be con- 

 sidered at the uext meeting of the Interuatioual Botanical Cbngress to be 

 held in London next year, if the present overwhelming war is then over, 

 Niz : (1), that in the case of new species, descriptions of two or thi'ee lines 

 only for the sake of priority shonld be as far as possible avoided ; (2), 

 that authors who are compeUed to describe uew species from imperfect 

 * SwiXGLE, W. T. — JlerotyiJes as means of multiplying botanical tyjjes. 



