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system as a whole, and not force it to include scraps from opposing 

 systems. Naturally then, Linnaaus's views have been accorded a 

 respectful treatment, and as I have repeatedly shown, the Index 

 recognises those names as valid which received the final approval 

 of the father of modern nomenclature in his Species Plantarum in 

 1753. This was set out in this Journal in 1887, pp. 67, 68, before 

 Dr. Kuntze saw the Kew MS. 



The names which were tentatively used by Linnaeus in his 

 earlier works, were only vitalised by his ultimate revision of them 

 in the Species Plantarum. This according to Dr. Kuntze is no fixed 

 point ; opinions may differ, but our view is perfectly comprehensible 

 to most people, and has the advantage of producing a sounder 

 nomenclature than the collection of sweepings from all sorts of 

 systems which Dr. Kuntze offers in its place. In reply to bis 

 reiterated charges of change of plan after his Revisio came out, 

 I can only give it a point blank denial. Dr. Kuntze flatters himself 

 too grossly ; his Revisio only reached me on November 14th, three 

 months after the first part of the Index Kewensis had gone to press 

 (September 15th); it was therefore a physical impossibility for me 

 to have made those fundamental changes in the plan which he avers 

 were made after his work had given me the idea. I am in no sense 

 responsible for any mistakes which the doctor's defective hearing 

 may have caused ; indeed, he knows better himself, as witness his 

 own words : — " The Kew index of plant names . . . planned at first 

 as a continuation of Steudel's Nomenclator, now in preparation since 

 9 years under the responsibility and direction of Sir Joseph Hooker, 

 will not be now a work like Steudel's Nomenclator, but a faithful 

 index of the names of phanerogams." — Revisio, p. cxlvi (1891). 

 Within three years of beginning, it was seen that to attempt giving 

 synonyms as Steudel did, would, from its appalling bulk, ensure 

 the collapse of the work. This was good reason enough, but I may 

 add more. The citation of synonyms under the right names pre- 

 supposes that every plant is already in possession of its right name ; 

 this is easy in the Steudelian method, for a name is coined on the 

 instant for any transfer, and the thing is done. No such presump- 

 tion formed part of our plan ; thousands of plants are still awaiting 

 their true nomenclature at the hands of competent monographers 

 working with the plants themselves. Believing, as I do, that the 

 plan adopted will meet with the approval of the majority of botanists, 

 Dr. Kuntze's strictures may be disregarded. 



B. Daydon Jackson. 

 [To avoid possible misunderstanding, Dr. Kuntze's remarks are 



devote further space to the discussion on the points raised. — En. 

 JouaN. Box.] 



