SYSTEMATIC ACCOUNT. 89 



tions on the subject in 1834, the descriptions, based 

 for the most part on superficial and unimportant char- 

 acters, were, when unaccompanied by drawings, prac- 

 tically valueless for the purpose of identification. The 

 preservation of authenticated specimens, and a certain 

 amount of collateral evidence, have however in many 

 cases placed the identity of the species intended beyond 

 any reasonable doubt, and in such cases the early names 

 should, we think, be retained. 



If a name, accompanied by a description, is pub- 

 lished by a reputable author, the onus surely rests 

 with later writers to exhaust all possible means of 

 ascertaining what was intended, before setting such a 

 name aside. Braun's unquestionable authority in 

 regard to matters of fact in relation to the Charo- 

 phyta has led, quite naturally, to his nomenclature 

 being followed implicitly by many botanists, especially 

 among his fellow-countrymen. Unfortunately his 

 views as regards nomenclature were by no means 

 stable. Priority of publication was of little import- 

 ance in his eyes, and he would quite readily re-name 

 even his own species ! He was, however, very careful 

 in working out synonymy, so that his own works 

 afford the means of correcting the nomenclature to 

 accord with modern usage. 



As in the case of many other cryptogams, the im- 

 perfect knowledge in earlier times of the minute 

 anatomy of the Charophyta led to a very confused 

 idea as regards the species, and it is impossible to 

 arrive with any degree of certainty at the meaning 

 which should be attached to most of the pre-Linnean 

 names. They have, therefore, in only a few cases 

 been cited in the synonymy. We hope in the second 

 volume to inckide a list of all the names published 

 prior to 1763. 



The names given by Linnaeus in ' Species Plantarum,' 

 the starting point of modern nomenclature, seem to 

 stand in a somewhat different position from those of 

 any other author. That great work was an attempt to 



