Greek and Latin in Biological Nomenclature 69 



VII 



Hybrid terms are invalid: retroactively, Greek-Latin hybrids are to be cor- 

 rected upon the basis of the Greek element, but all vernacular and personal 

 hybrids fall. 



"Nomina generica ex vocabulo graeco & latino, similibusque, 

 Hybricla, non agnoscenda sunt." Critica Botanica 28. 



"Everyone is bound to reject a name in the following cases: 

 . . . (4) When it is formed by the combination of two lan- 

 guages." Paris Code, Article 60. 1867. 



"The possibilities of the field he has opened up for us are in- 

 deed great, witness : Smithia, Smithago, Johnsmithotoma, Ig- 

 smithia, Smithalga, Smithodendron. 1 dwell on this because it 

 seems to me that botanical Latin is impure enough already with- 

 out such gratuitous monstrosities." Pound. American Natur- 

 alist, 26:147. 1892. 



"An unhappy feature of Dr. Kuntze's work, and one in vindi- 

 cation of which I can say nothing, is his method of constructing 

 new names for genera. Perhaps in some distant century, when 

 self-repeating history may have brought the return of times when 

 scientists were mostly men of clear ethics, solid learning, and re- 

 fined tastes, some such reform in plant nomenclature as that 

 which M. Saint-Lager in these times vainly advocates will be 

 carried into effect. If, before the advent of that good time, Dr. 

 Kuntze's Radlkofertoma and Schweinfurthafra shall have become 

 current for certain genera, they will be the first to be rejected." 

 Greene. Pittonia, 2:277. 1892. 



The indifference of many biologists to a classical standard for 

 nomenclature reaches its logical culmination in the formation of 

 hybrid words. Botanists especially are practically unanimous in 

 condemning hybrids, but, in spite of this fact, carelessness and 

 ignorance are steadily increasing the number of illegitimate 

 words. It is unnecessary to prove that hybrids are as unfortu- 

 nate in nomenclature as in philology, but it is necessary that 

 particular attention be given to them in order that they may be 

 avoided, or at least corrected. No biologist of any real attain- 



69 



