187 



sects is to rehearse a timeworn, popular, but non-scientific con- 

 clusion. Again it has been established beyond all doubt that 

 etiolative elongations of plants in darkness are not adaptations, 

 and are in fact exhibited by a scant and meaningless majority of 

 species. The exaggerated thickenings and elongations of etio- 

 lated organs are due simply to morphogenetic disturbances, the 

 utility of which is in some cases pure accident. The diurnal 

 movements of leaves are recognized as useful by the author, but 

 he ignores the well-known facts as to the benefit of nocturnal 

 movements of the same organs. After the same manner, botan- 

 ical equations set forth by Darwin, long outlawed by the progress 

 of the science are rehearsed and annihilated to demonstrate the 

 weakness of natural selection. A few hours' consultation with a 

 working botanist would have eliminated these crudities from a 

 book, which for the most part deals clearly and sanely with the 

 questions taken under consideration. 



D. T. MacDougal. 



CORRESPONDENCE 



Linnaeus' Work on Ferns 



Editor of Torreya : 



There is an article in the October number of this journal in 

 which an account of Linnaeus' work on ferns and his herbarium 

 has been given, an account which contains, as it seems to me, 

 several erroneous statements, which I cannot abstain from cor- 

 recting. 



I shall not enter upon any discussion about whether Linnaeus 

 were the originator of binominal nomenclature, for this question 

 has been settled long ago by a number of able writers in the 

 "history of Botany" ; nor shall I make any attempt to defend 

 "the miscalled Father of Botany" (p. 147), "who must ever 

 plead guilty to the charge of needlessly changing names already 

 given by his predecessors " (p. 150) ! 



But what I wish to take up is the manner in which the author 

 of the article, cited above, has interpreted Linnaeus' method of 



