716 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XII. No. 306. 



man civilization, commerce, etc. This has 

 resulted in placing the same species in sim- 

 ilar regions of both continents, as, for ex- 

 ample, Fagonia eretica in Lower California 

 and Chile ; Munroa squarrosa, western plains 

 of North America, plains of Argentine and 

 high plateaus of Chile and Bolivia ; Frank- 

 enia grandiflora, Southern California and 

 Arizona, coast lands of Chile ; Oxytheca 

 dendroidea, Lastarricea chilensis, and Chor- 

 izanthe comviissurcdis, all in Southern Cali- 

 fornia and Western Chile. 



(2) Those due to the operation of natural 

 causes acting under present conditions of 

 climate, geology, etc. Under this head 

 may be cited such species as sida leprosa, 

 hastata, anomala, Cienfugosia sidphurea, Sper- 

 gularia 2}laUensis and, in general, elements of 

 Gulf zone distribution ; also certain ele- 

 ments which still find a pathway along the 

 continental axis, including some alpine 

 and mountain xerophilous genera. 



(3) The third category of distribution 

 would include those phenomena due to 

 geological and climatic changes acting 

 through long periods. Under this head are 

 included the elements of greatest signifi- 

 cance in the relationsip of the North and 

 South America floras. The endemic boreal 

 flora of the Andes, the equally endemic 

 boreal flora of the Mexican Cordilleras, 

 and genera with sharply distinct species or 

 sub-genera in the arid extra- tropical regions 

 of both continents, which may be called 

 remnant elements. ^^^^^^^ l. Beay. 



School of Botany, 



University of Texas. 



NAMES OF AN 131 AL8 PUBLISHED BY OSBECK 

 IN 1765. 



In 1757, Peter Osbeck, a pupil of Linne 

 published in Stockholm a work entitled : 

 ' Dagbokofver en Ostindisk resa aren 1750- 

 1752.' The work* was subsequently trans- 



* The German translation is entitled : Eeise nach 

 Ostindien und China. 



lated into several languages, with dates of 

 publication as follows: in German, 1765 

 (Rostock), and 1772 (Leipzig), two editions; 

 in French 1771 ; in English, 1771. Of these 

 translations I have examined the German, 

 1765, and the English. The latter transla- 

 tion is not from the original, as we learn 

 from its editor, but from the German, the 

 latter having had the advantage of revision 

 by Osbeck, who, we are told, made some 

 additions to it. 



On comparison of Osbeck's proposed 

 names for the various species of animals 

 discovered with the tenth and twelfth edi- 

 tions of Linne's Sydema Naturce, one is struck 

 by the number which are not referred to in 

 those works ; and, as far as I can learn, these 

 omissions have not been included in later 

 works in most instances. It is for the pur- 

 pose of bringing them to the attention 

 of naturalists that I offer the present 

 notes. 



Such of Osbeck's names which are tenable 

 should date from the 1 765 translation which 

 follows the tenth edition of Linne. The 

 pagination noted herein refers to that 

 volume. 



MAMMALIA. 



Ceevus javanicus. Page 357. Java. 



This is, probably, the Tragidus (= Mos- 

 chus) javanicus Gmelin, 1788. The synon- 

 ymy should be Tragulus javanicus (Os- 

 beck), 1765, = Moschus javanicus Gmelin, 

 1788. 



AVES. 



SiTTA CHiNENsis. Page 326. China. 



The British Museum Catalogue of Birds 

 gives as a synonym of Sitta ccesia, a Sitta 

 chinensis Viellot, 1819, but on reference to 

 the Nouv. Did., v. XXXI, p. 332, it will be 

 seen that Viellot gives Osbeck as authority 

 for the name. Therefore Sitta chinensis Os- 

 beck, 1765 and 1771, has priority over Sitta 

 ccesia M. and W., 1810. 



