126 



BOOK-NOTES, NEWS, ETC. 



of leaf-fungi; but the necessity of returning at the beginning 

 of the rainy season, the best time for botanising, cannot be other 

 than matter for regret. 



The Times of March 22nd contains a leader on the Kew Bulletin, 

 which, it appears, "is threatened with extinction," Viewed in the 

 light of the notice in our last issue, the article is interesting reading. 

 We there called attention to the increasing prominence given to 

 strictly botanical matters in recent issues of the Bulletin, and we 

 have reason to believe that it is intended to develop this portion of 

 its contents. The article in the Times is written throughout in the 

 exaggerated style of indiscriminate eulogy which seems by some to 

 be thought necessary whenever Kew is spoken of. "No reasonable 

 man can doubt that the publication of the Bulletin is one of the 

 most useful functions discharged by an institution so useful to the 

 community, and so creditable to the State as the Royal Gardens at 

 Kew." The Times also says, "Its primary function is economical, 

 and not scientific." But, as we have already pointed out, it is 

 more and more neglecting this "primary function," and usurping 

 that of a scientific journal. The enthusiastic leader-writer protests 

 too much when he tries to make folk believe that the Bulletin is 

 essential either to the interests of Kew or to the progress of science. 

 The former did good work for forty-five years before the Bulletin 

 came into existence ; and abundant opportunities already exist for 

 the publication of facts of either scientific or economic importance. 

 The Bulletin is a serviceable adjunct to the work at Kew, and if its 

 scope were restricted to its "primary function," it would be useful to 

 a somewhat limited circle of investigators. But to treat the question 

 as one of national importance is to introduce an element of farce 

 into what is supposed to be a tragedy. 



We learn from the March number of the Bulletin that the 

 Royal Society of N. S. Wales has awarded the Clarke Memorial 

 Medal to Dr. Dyer, who acknowledges its receipt in a characteristic 

 letter. This, with the communication conferring the honour, is 

 printed at length. The other contents of the number are mainly 

 in accord with its "primary function," In the article on the 

 sources of Rubber supply, reference is made to the Kew Report for 



1 ftftO £rvt* l«fAt.m n ^ A « ~ «: TT7.77.. .7 1 • T -,- .* 



e Will 



w ^ , w ,^„eo. The 



names there published, however, were, as we then pointed out,* 

 nomina nuda; and they have since been reduced or ignored in the 

 Flora of British India f : the Editor of the Bulletin should not have 

 omitted to mention this. 



This publication of "nomina nuda," to which we have more than 

 once referred lately, is a growing nuisance, and one which ought to 

 be checked. A recent work— Delagoa Buy, by Mrs. Monteiro— 

 contains a number of such names in various branches of natural 

 history, including many plants. The offence against botanical 

 canons is here aggravated, for (save in one instance) no indication 

 is given that the plant is new, nor do we find any authority cited 

 for them. Indeed, it was only after futile attempts to trace one of 



* Journ. Bat. 1881, 381. f See Journ. Bot. 1891, 124, 



