14 THE AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 
can find, still holds sway. We wondered at the time the name 
was proposed, how long it would take to find that though cor- 
rectly derived as to its meaning it is grammatically wrong in 
form. In fact we have after these number of years without 
shadow of suspicion on the part of many, had to endure an ety- 
mological monstrosity, which has not only been taken up into 
the terminology of the science but accepted by otherwise reputed 
scientists, and that without any question as to the credentials of 
the correction deserving commendation. 
A mere beginner in Greek literature would have known 
from his first few lessons in that language that any name coming 
from the word uéyas, fem., weydAn, neut. wéya, having the 
genitive weya&Aov, must according to the rules for the derivation of 
words in the ancient languages come from the root of the word. 
The root of the word in question is “éyaA, from the genitive 
weyaAov. The name then should have been megalospore, the “O”’ 
being inserted before consonants. The taking of the simple nom- 
inative case of a word may be an easy way for the name tinkers, 
but it is as unpardonable to burden a nomenclature or a termi- 
nology with these mongrel names, as is the using of a plural form 
of verb with a singular subject. The former moreover is not 
nearly as uncomimon as one would at first suspect. It may be 
said on the one hand that this matter is not strictly botanical 
in relevance and of minor moment, but the dignity of a science 
merits better from its makers of names. On the other hand it 
may be asked ‘‘Why was not attention called sooner to the 
matter? instead of criticizing when perhaps too late?’’ It is 
to us still a matter of wonder that the name was not sooner 
amended, and perhaps, such is the indifference on the part of 
our writers or maybe rather ignorance, that the results might 
have been the same in the long run anyway. 
As an example of the proper use of names with “evans we 
have the following plant names, and more may be found in the 
Index Kewensis: Magalodonta, Greene, Megalotropus, Megalachne. 
On the other hand Megastachya, Megastigma show that our nomen- 
clature as well as our terminology may be improved. Moreover 
as the name of the group of so-called brown algae we say Melano- 
phyceae (instead of the incorrect Melaphyceae) though the deri- 
vation is from the Greek word uéAas, uéAaiwa, “éAay, meaning 
black. “ 
