
286 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [APRIL 
Antennaria of the p/antaginifolia group that have been proposed from time 
to time by Mr. Fernald, it is pertinent to inquire whether he does not himself 
recognize the necessity for occasional segregations. Botanists of the last 
century, who were familiar with A. A/antaginifolia, as they supposed, would 
probably be fully as dismayed over the expansion of this species as modern 
fern students are likely to be over the division of Dryopteris. 
4. Phegopteris Robertiana and Notholaena dealbata are examples merely 
of the elevation of varieties to specific rank, an everyday practice among 
botanists of all shades of opinion. 
_ The case of Pel/aea is analogous to that of Dryopteris. 
6. Cheilanthes gracilis being a homonym, the first available name, C. 
Feet, is taken up for the species. 
Applying the process of exclusion to Mr. Fernald’s table in the light of 
the above remarks, it will be observed that of the fifteen species which he 
cites, the names of only two are the result of an altered interpretation of the 
code. These are Preridium for Pteris aguilina and its allies, and the restora- 
tion of Asplenium thelypteroides for A. acrostichoides. \f we assume the 
same ratio to hold good throughout Professor Underwood’s work, we shall 
find that all but about 4 per cent. of the changes are the legitimate outgrowth 
of added research, consisting of corrections of homonyms, division of aggre- 
gate genera and species, etc.; and the same changes would probably have 
been made by the same author under almost any system of nomenclature. 
On the other hand it may be considered excellent testimony to the soundness 
of the Rochester principles that after the application to them of Professor 
Underwood’s method of determining generic types so small a percentage of 
actual changes should occur. The citation of such cases as those discussed 
above affords no basis whatever for adverse criticism of the code, since, as 
already explained, the same course might be pursued even by opponents of 
the Rochester nomenclature.— CHARLES Louis POLLARD, U. S. National 
Museum. 
