PliEFACE. XV 



themselves wholly from it. For example, in the last edition 

 of Morren's Correspondanee botanique may be seen " Dr. 

 Horace Comes " and " Georges Bidie, Esq." In the present 

 volume, Dr. Comes appears with the initial of his name Orazio, 

 and probably both the authors named would repudiate the 

 transmogrification performed, given too in a work which is 

 practically international, and which quotes the English title 

 of " Esq.," but transforms the Christian name " Greorge " into 

 the French dissyllable " Georges." I have equally strong 

 opinions as to the folly of translating names of places ; 

 accordingly, unless a long-established name, like Vienna, 

 exists, I give the local name in its integrity. I am thankful 

 to be able to feel that the English sin least of all their neigh- 

 bours in this matter, and where they do go wrong, it is by 

 following French or German influence ; to take the case of the 

 city just mentioned, Yienna is certainly derived from Wien, 

 through the French Yienne. 



It is centuries too late to contend against the practice of 

 translating names like William and Wilhelm into Gulielmus, 

 or Karl into Carolus. I mention it here, because the same 

 writer appears with varying initials sometimes. F. A. Willems 

 Miquel when writing Dutch, becomes F. A. Gulielmus Miquel 

 when sending forth a Latin work. The only serious complaint 

 I have to make against Pritzel is his invariably spelling Carl, 

 Conrad, Constantin, with a K, without paying any attention 

 as to the practice of the owners of the names ; one ludicrous 

 result of this ill-advised habit has been pointed out in my 

 article already quoted. 



In the index I have used what appear to me to have been 

 the names of the respective authors as used by them in their 

 later years. Any increase of name, such as Brisseau-Mirbel, 



