126 THE AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST. 
that is well enough substantiated may become a theory. To 
many it seems that the planetesimal hypothesis is. receiving 
this support, but the authors do not yet assign to it the ele- 
ment of certainty that is implied in the use of the word 
“theory.” 
There are some statements, however, that may be made with 
certainty. One of these is that neither the Laplacian hypo- 
thesis nor any modification of it, nor any of the hypothesis of 
the meteoritic group offer anything whatever of a satisfactory 
interpretation of the origin of the solar system. They have 
been definitely proved to possess no foundation, and to 
attempt. to use them further, whether in geology or in any 
other science is futile. On the other hand, the planetesimal 
hypothesis stands out as the one existing explanation of the 
earth’s origin which has not shown flaws. It is in accord with 
all known facts ,and as said before, explains some that were 
unknown at the time it was originally proposed. It affords 
a reasonable and satisfactory basis for scientific and popular 
thought, and as such a basis it is of almost inestimable value. 
Nomenclatorial Notes on Certain American Plants.—I. 
HOMER D. HOUSE. 
BOTRYCHIUM ONEIDENSE (Gilbert) House, comb. nov. 
This was originally described from Oneida county, New 
York, as a variety of Botrychium ternatum (Fern Bul. (9) 27. 
1901), and later (Walters, Ferns p. 334. 1903), transferred to 
Botrychium obliquum as a variety. Additional collections 
from Albany and Greene counties indicate that it is more 
properly to be regarded as a distant species. 
AGROSTIS PECKII House, nom. nov. 
A. caespitosa Torrey, Ann. Lyc. N. Y. (1): 152. 1824. Not Salisb. 
Trichodium montanum Torr. Fl. N. & Mid. U. S. (1): 84. 1824. Not 
Agrostis montana R. Br. 
A. torreyi Kunth, Enum. (1): 226. 1833.—Tuckerman*in Hovey’s 
Mag. Hort. (9): 148. 1948. Not A. torreyana Schultes, 1824. 
A. laxiflora var. montana Tuckerm. Am. Jour. Sci. (45): 43. 1843. 
A. laviflora var. caespitosa Torrey, Fl. N. Y. (2): 442. 1848. 
A. oreophila (Trinius, misapplied by) Nash, in Britton & Brown, 
