84 The Botanical Gazette. [February, 
new will have to be devised, since the old familiar practice 
will have lost its force. ! 
The facts in the case, it seems, are simply these: The prop- 
osition that the author who makes ‘‘the first correct combine 
tion” of genus and species is entitled to more credit than the | 
original discoverer of that species, cannot be maintained — 
Upon this point the committee appointed by the British As- 
sociation to prepare a code of nomenclature makes the follow- 
ing statement: 
hos We conceive that the author who first describes 
and names a species which forms the groundwork of later 
generalizations possesses a higher claim to have his name 
recorded than he who afterward defines the genus which & 
found to embrace that species, or who may be the mere acci- 
dental means of bringing the generic and specific names into 
contact. By giving the authority for the specific name! 
preference to all others, the inquirer is referred directly to the 
original description, habitat, etc., of the species, and is att 
same time reminded of the date of its discovery.” 
This committee numbered Darwin, Henslow, Wallac 
Babington, J. D. Hooker, Balfour and Bentham among I 
members. 
To the statement that preference should be given to the te 
ferrer of the species to its proper genus on the ground thal 
“it requires greater knowledge of the structure and relation 
ship of species to properly classify them than to simply name 
and describe them,” the code of nomenclature adopted by tt 
American Ornithologists’ Union says, ‘‘But it often happet 
that the authority for the combination of names used is no) 
that of the classifier, but of the author who merely shuffled — 
names,’ or worked out the synonymy in accordance with 1 
menclatural rules, and has had nothing to do with the corred 
allocation of the species.” 
The concurrence of opinion is, therefore, to the effect tha 
the name of the original author of a species is an inseparabl 
part of the specific name, and should go with it no ™®) 
what its vicissitudes may be, not only as a matter of simple | 
Justice, but from the standpoint of historical accuracy: 
so-called “‘correst combination” is « personal eqvatiot 
1Since the above was written Prof. Bail ms 
pig i has, tunately it see i 
wie this innovation and writes ‘‘n PF ” after oa ject Arkansana, whi 
had been described as bona fide new asa variety in 1888. 
