286 THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 



''NEW WEST AUSTEALIAN PLANTS." 



We note with regret that the pubhcation of several of the 

 plants described by Mr. W. V. Fitzgerald on pp. 18-23 has been 

 anticipated by Dr. Ewart and Dr. Jean White in their " Contri- 

 butions to the Elora of Australia," published in the Proceedings of 

 the Boyal Society of Victoria. It is right to say that the author 

 is not to blame for this, at any rate in the majority of cases, as his 

 paper had been in our possession some time before its publication, 

 and the species were doubtless undescribed at the time the paper 

 was written. We note that Drs. Ewart and White, while citing 

 Mr. Fitzgerald as the author of the names, also attach their own. 

 There is of course no obligation to cite a MS. name, but when it is 

 quoted, the custom, dictated by courtesy, is to attribute it to its 

 author, leaving those who subsequently refer to the new species 

 to add to it that of its publisher, as prescribed in Art. 42 of the 

 Vienna Eules. We would point out, however, that Art. 40 of the 

 Rules lays down that after Jan. 1, 1908, only names accompanied 

 by a Latin diagnosis can be regarded as validly published. The 

 descriptions, not only of the plants in question but of the numerous 

 others published by the writers referred to, have no such diagnosis, 

 but are written entirely in English ; so that those who follow the 

 Article will be compelled to accept Mr. Fitzgerald's descriptions, 

 which comply with the Vienna ruling. 



It may be well to give a list of the names, so far as we have 

 observed them, which have been published in the two places 

 mentioned : — 



Acacia Eioartiana W. V. Fitzg. in Journ. Bot. 1912, 19 ; Ewart 



& White in Proc. R. Soc. Vict, xxiii. 287, t. 49 (1911). 

 A. eremoyhila W. V. Fitzg. I.e. = A. leptoneiira var. eremo- 



phila Ewart & White, op. cit. 286, t. 50. 

 A. Kochii W. V. Fitzg. op. cit. 20 ; Ewart & White, op. cit. 285, 



t. 49. 

 Drosera A^iclersoniana W. V. Fitzg. op. cit. 21 ; Ewart & White, 



op.cit.^xii. 93, t. 72 (1909). 

 Angianthus axillifiorus W. V. Fitzg. I.e. = A. axiliflorus Ewart 



& White, op. cit. 315, t. 56 (1910). 

 Ptilotus (Trichinium) eriostricMis (sphalm. eriostrichus) W. V. 



Fitzg. I. c. 22 = Trichinium eriotrichum Ewart & White, 



op. cit. 325, t. 60 (1910). 



It seems desirable to call attention to the (very crude) figures 

 which accompany the descriptions of Drs. Ewart and White, as 

 no reference is made to them in the text ; it will be remembered 

 that Art. 37 of the Vienna Rules limits the date at which such 

 plates accompanied by analyses can be considered as equivalent to 

 a description to the period before Jan. 1, 1908. 



