100 AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 
had no doubt that this was always true; the belief being that from 
the time of Linnzus forward a specific name once published 
remains unalterable, even under the transfer of the species to 
another genus. ‘The study of these Linnean ternaries has revealed 
a very different condition of things. It is ascertained that not only 
did Linnzeus himself hold them easily subject to alteration and 
improvement, but that many of the best botanists during many 
decades after him were of the same mind, and that old names were 
suppressed and new ones substituted for them with much freedom. 
This slavery to the idea of stability, which binds the whole rank 
and file of most working botanists of to-day, did not hold our fore- 
fathers; and even down to and within the twentieth century there 
are defenders of the principle that names that are bad ought to be 
suppressed, and new ones that are good put in the place of them. 
On this point our list tells at least a part of that story very effect- 
ually. 
1. Acer Pseudo-Platanus : 
Acer quinquelobum Gilib., 1781. 
Acer procerum Salisb., 1796. 
Acer Pseudoplatanus Stokes, 1812, S. F. Gray, 1821, C. B. 
Presl, 1826. 
Acer majus S. F. Gray, 1821. 
Acer platinifolium St. Lager, 1880. 
Acer Pseudo-Platanus Hook. & Jacks., 1893. 
2. Adiantum Capillus Veneris: 
Adiantum coriandrifolium Lam., 1778, Lestib., 1804. 
Adiantum fontanum Salisb., 1796. 
Adiantum cuneifolium Stokes, 1812. 
Adiantum capillaceum Dulac, 1867. 
Adianton capillare St. Lager, 1880. 
Adiantum Capillus-Veneris Britton, 1896. 
Adiantum capillus-veneris Underw., 1900. 
3. Aesculus Hippo Castanum : 
Hippocastanum vulgare Duhamel, 1755, Moench, 1794, Gaertner, 
1802. 
Aesculus hippocastanum P. Miller, 1768, Scopoli, 1772, Hook. 
& Jacks., 1893. 
Aesculus procera Salisb., 1796. 
Hippocastanum Aesculus Cav., 1801. 
Aesculus hippocastanum Lestib., 1804. 
Aesculus septenata Stokes, 1812. 
Aesculus castanea St. Lager, 1880. 
