858 HE VIEWS. 



over Orchids is owing to the vast number of individuals in the 

 former, their paucity in the latter. 



Those who desire to know the respective parts which the 

 two authors have taken in the elaboration of the " Genera 

 Plantarum " may be referred to a short article on the subject 

 in a recent number of the " Journal of the Linnaean Society 

 of London." Great thanks from all botanists are due to them 

 both. 



BOTANICAL NOMENCLATURE. 1 



Sixteen years have passed, since M. De Candolle laid 

 before the International Botanical Congress held at Paris, 

 August 16-26, 1867, a body of Laws of Botanical Nomen- 

 clature, which he had drawn up for consideration by that 

 assembly. The code was discussed by a special committee, 

 afterward by the congress in full session, some modifications 

 introduced, and it was then all but unanimously voted, " by 

 about one hundred botanists of all countries: " "That these 

 laws, as adopted by this assembly, shall be recommended as 

 the best guide for nomenclature in the vegetable kingdom." 

 The adopted code, with an extended commentary, was pub- 

 lished by De Candolle early in the autumn of the same year ; 

 and an English translation, made by the lamented Dr. TTed- 

 dell, appeared early in 1868. The " Laws," but without the 

 more voluminous explanatory commentary, were reprinted 

 from the English translation in this Journal in July of that 

 year, occupying only twelve pages ; and some remarks and 

 suggestions by the present writer were appended. As was 

 then said, the code did not make, but rather declared, the com- 

 mon law of botanists. It announced principles, systematically 

 and perspicuously, and indicated their application in leading 

 cases ; but many practical questions, as well as conflicts of 



1 Nouvelle Remarques sur la Nomenclature Botanique. Par M. Alphonse 

 De Candolle. Geneva, 1883. (American Journal of Science and Arts, 

 3 ser., xxvi. 417.) 



