116 



The author's strong — we think too strong — tendency to 

 unite genera is indicated in his inclusion of both Pulsatilla and 

 Hepatica in Anemone, and Batrachiimi in Ranuncubis. 



Mr. Druce's list, by excluding, in deference to the Vienna 

 Rules, duplicate binomials, fails to record important nomencla- 

 torial facts, just as it does in omitting parenthetical citations of 

 authors of specific names. In the latter case, indeed, the omission 

 actually involves misstatement. That such loss, if noted, is 

 accepted by the author out of sheer dislike for unfamiliar mechan- 

 ical form would seem to be indicated by his treatment of other 

 names which, for every reason except such form, have less to 

 commend them than the double names referred to. 



He admits the name Cerastiiim cerastioides Britton, an inane 

 binomial, made necessary by the priority of the specific name of 

 the plant described by Linnaeus as Stellaria cerastioides. We do 

 not understand why, as he accepts this meaningless name, he 

 should decline to accept names like Mariana Mariana Hill, or 

 Coronopus Coronopus Karsten, which are not meaningless, but 

 very significant, indicating as they do, that Cardims Mariana 

 L. is the type species of Mariana and that Lepidinm Coro7iopus L. 

 is the type species of Coronopus. These duplicate names were 

 rejected at Vienna by a close vote, taken after Professor Engler had 

 made the naive complaint that some of his students laughed at 

 them ! There is plenty of good precedent for their retention, 

 both botanical and zoological. 



The list prepared by Mr. Druce will be of great value, not 

 alone to the members of the British local clubs and societies to 

 whose membership it is primarily addressed, but to students in 

 America and in Continental Europe. In Great Britain it cannot 

 fail to mold opinion and to fix the usage of many plant names 

 for a long period. Emanating as it does from Oxford University, 

 it is assured a distinguished and independent audience ; we con- 

 gratulate Mr. Druce on its appearance ! 



H. H. RusBY, 

 N. L. Britton. 



