60 



2& 



With regard to your question concerning the caupe of the 

 ever inereasiiig sjTionymy in the natural history of animáis ami 

 plants it must be traced to the arbitrary manner in which the 

 «ames were chosen acrording to the various views held by Zo- 

 ographers and Phytographers; in my own studies of the vegeta- 

 tion of our planet since 1839 I have adopted principies according 

 to which my census of Australian plants is elaborated, of which 

 work I beg to subraitt herewith an im prensión, it will be observ- 

 ed from this, that the first binominal appelation in its correct 

 genus is the only one admissible, and this 1 have cronologica- 

 lly demonstrated. 



With reference to author's ñames as shown in ray work we 

 ean go back to pre-Linnen times provided that such older na 

 mes have been accepted by Linneus and therefore have been 

 confirmed by hira. If these two simple rules were adhered to 

 nearlyall disputes about priority rightsin the nomenclatureof na- 

 tural history would cease. Itshould however be further observ- 

 ed that in transfering the species of a new genus to an oíd one 

 or the reverse loeati©n, the particular naturalist who effects the 

 translocation sh(!^uld also enjoy the authornhip for every one of 

 the species so transloeated, which at the time are clearly and in- 

 disputably known and limited, all though the author, may not by 

 actual works have mentioned them in print. Like all other iaws 

 those of priority in scieiice must depend on afeeling ofjustice 

 and not on pedantery or greed for notoriety, because if such ru- 

 les are not based on justice the -whole would be overthrown 

 again in time like all other unjust decrees. 



It would not be advisable to substituto for an author's 

 ñame the date of publication, but both should be given, as done 

 throughout iu my Census. If we view a genus or a species in 

 the empires of animáis or plants and attaeh the ñame of the na- 

 turalist who gave the generic or speciíic desiguátion, then we 



