20 BOTANICAL GAZETTE. [ Jan. 
deavor to have the botanical portions as complete, exact and reliable as possi- 
present they are neither exact nor reliable, though the latest editions 
are nals better than former ones. 
E CUTTING UP of published exsiccate and distribution of the er ormnee 
in the general herbarium is advocated by Professor agit in the American 
Naturalist for December, and the method has much to commend it. This cites 
all the specimens of a group together and makes iste prec n simple and 
easy. The saving of time and patience may be well illustrated by an attempt 
to find a particular specimen in the unindexed and voluminous collections of 
von Thiimen for example, which, unless much time is taken, may lead to no 
other result than doubt whether it occurs there or not. Uniform treatment of 
this kind has been generally adopted in the large phanerogamic herbaria of 
the country, and it seems to us could well be extended to the cryptogamic col- 
lections—in fact that there should be, when possible, but a single series in each 
herbarium, erie from the protophyte to the highest angiosperm 
THE not far distant, we believe, when phanerogamic botanists will 
do as tol, yologs and reap are now doing in quoting authori- 
ties for plant names, i. ¢., cite not only the name of him who combines the 
generic and diuiid names, but ie the one who first distinguished the plant 
and assigned to it a specific name, The burden of synonymy is growing greater 
day by day 
THE ERAL INDEX to the first ten volumes has been somewhat delayed 
in its preparation, but will soon be ready. 
OPEN LETTERS. 
Seeds wanted. 
Proiessor Schiibeler, of Christiania, Norway, whose works upon t the history 
of calniwated plants and the changes that have occurred in the distribution of 
indigenous vegetation are so rel known, ened desires fresh seeds of our In- 
bar rice, Hydropyrum esculentum, or Zizania aquatica. If any of our western 
botanists can supply them hey ‘will much obiive him, and also the subscriber, 
ASA ane: 
The Dispensatories. 
I have had occasion to consult extensively the a ect bone of pa Navona 
and U. S. Dispensatories, and am much surprised at the looseness t und 
in the use of botanical terms and the frequent bisccahey 6 of the botanical jn 
formation (?) there given. Surely, in works of such prominence and impo 
ance the very best botanical sleos ought to be employed to contribute thie ‘ps sete 
tion, as has apparently been done in the chemical, pharmaceutical. and thera- 
peutic parts. Perhaps a w ie ae m the GazeTrE would be of influence upon 
the next editions of these 
A Phallus. 
lf the reply be within the scope of the Gazerrs, I should be very eco ie 
know if there be any means of extirpating from the soil the spores of a 
