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Stated ; so far from being wholly opposed to the movement, "gegeii 

 alle Besolutionen," I wrote to Prof. Ertgler, sympathising in the 

 protest against what I considered to be pedantic innovations, but 

 said that I could not subscribe to the document sent out, without 

 considerable qualification, and therefore it seemed advisable not to 

 sign it, for fear of misleading others as to my views. This neutral 

 attitude is now held to be antagonistic, an inference which I 

 repudiate. 



It is a matter of regret that I am obliged to introduce these 

 personal topics, but no option is left me. Dr. Kuntze lays great 

 stress on my having effected an entire change of front since he 

 came upon the scene ; in at least eight different places he mentions 

 this, with evident relish. Combining these several statements, 

 I learn to my great surprise, that though I at first started from 

 the year 1735, it was not until after the publication of the author's 

 portly volumes that I suddenly turned round, and began to laud 

 the Species Plantarum, no doubt instigated thereto by Sir Joseph 

 Hooker ! The introduction of Sir Joseph's name is unwarrantable, 

 and the incident is imaginary ; but the following reprint of a simple 

 paragraph will demolish this Kuntzean fable : — 



" Our starting point, then, is the publication of Linnjeus's first 

 edition of the Sy sterna- in 1735, which he followed up by the <i, nera 

 in 1737; for Linnean names naturally, Eichter's Coda; with 

 Petermann's Index, supply means for quickly referring to the first 

 publication of a genus or a species. Where Linnaeus ascribes the 

 genus to an earlier author, we say, 'Tourn. ex Linn.,' &c, but do 

 not refer directly to pre-Liunean literature. Where LinnfflOS's 

 names as given in his earlier works were not followed in his Species 

 li.int.muu, we follow the Series Plantarum, e.g., Ethusa, Brunei hi, 

 ( \ ntauria, for no specific names in the modern sense were appended 

 to these genera by Linnagus, and we bring ourselves into harmony 

 ''xiisa Centaurea, Prunella, as in the 



The foregoing paragraph was published in this Journal for 

 February, 1887, p. 68, more than two months before Dr. Kuntze paid 

 his preliminary visit to the Kew Herbarium, where his first signature 

 in the visitors' book appears on April 6th of the same year. The 

 first Fasciculus of the Index Kewensis is in the hands of the public, 

 who can judge for themselves whether the foregoing intention has 

 not been faithfully carried out. As Eichter's Codex was used in 

 preparing the MS., I was in a manner forced to quote the first 

 edition of the Sy sterna, otherwise the Genera would have seemed the 

 better starting point. Dr. Kuntze chooses to forget that I was 

 fully half-way through my task before he even saw it. 



A digression may be permitted here to point out the impropriety 

 of using imperfect genera, such as so many of Adanson's and 

 Necker's, to oust better established genera ; nearly all these generic 

 terms had remained destitute of specific names till Dr. Kuntze 



* An obvious slip occurs in the eighth line from the bottom of the same 

 page ; neglectum should read vulyatum. 



