VI] TERMINOLOGY AND CONVENIENCE. 115 



to this plant, I ventured to substitute Withamia^ for Gycado- 

 rachis, and chose such a term in preference to one denoting 

 affinity, on account of the difficulty of placing the plant in a 

 definite class or family. On the other hand, it has been 

 objected that the original name, despite its meaningless 

 meaning — if the expression may be used — should be retained. 

 A friendly critic^ in writing of the proposed change of Gycado- 

 rachis, urges the importance of adhering to the name which 

 was first applied to a genus. The same author pertinently 

 remarks that we can no more dispense with a nomenclature 

 than we can dispense with language. We may extend the 

 comparison and point out that in language, as in scientific 

 nomenclature, conciseness, clearness and convenience should be 

 kept in view as guiding principles. 



The student must judge for himself what course to follow in 

 each case. While adhering as far as possible to a consistent 

 plan, he miist take care that he does not allow his own 

 judgment to be completely over-ridden by a blind obedience 

 to fixed rules, which if pressed too far may defeat their own 

 ends. 



1 Seward (95) p. 173. = Ward (96) p. 874. 



8—2 



