COMMENTARY. 59 



words, and a very important fact lias been omitted in so 

 doing, that of Brown's having created the combination 

 Matthiola tristis, which allows you to turn back to the date, 

 and to "the motives which led Brown to refer the species to 

 his new genus Matthiola. The expression L. sub Cheirantho, 

 has a double and even a triple sense. It either conveys the 

 sense that is intended, or signifies that Linnaeus, in some 

 note under the genus Cheiranthus, has spoken of the genus 

 Matthiola, or, again, that he has mentioned a species called 

 by hijn Matthiola tristis. 



' The indication under the form L. sub Cheirantho, ofiers, at 

 any rate, this advantage, that every one knowing two words 

 of Latin may translate it, and try to understand what it is 

 intended to imply. Whereas if, instead of this, we have 

 "Matthiola tristis L. {sp.)," the unversed will necessarily 

 want to have explained to them that Linnapus did not make 

 a Matthiola tristis, that the parenthesis signifies that he 

 made the species only, and furthermore that ' sp.' is no allu- 

 sion to Linnseus's classical work, ' Species Plantarum.'' If 

 we have "Matthiola tristis (L.), Brown," the parenthesis has 

 first to be explained; and the reader, having learnt that 

 Linnasus only made the specific name, wishes to know 

 under what generic name. Finally, if it be "Matthiola Br.; 

 tristis L.," the quotation, although very complicated, does 

 not enlighten us the more as to the generic name under 

 which the species is to be met with in Linnaeus ; nor does it 

 tell us that, in creating the genus Matthiola, Brown referred 

 to it the species tristis, — an essential poiut nevertheless as 

 regards both precision and date. 



The partisans of the proposed method ask for just deal- 

 ing ; but, in our opinion, they are mistaken in the applica- 

 tion of this excellent principle. 



Nothing can be more unjust than to attribute to Linnaeus, 

 for instance, a combination of names that he did not make, 

 that he had no idea of, and that he would perhaps have 

 blamed had he been acquainted with it. It may be said 

 that the expression Matthiola tristis (L. sub Cheirantho) does 

 not attribute the combination of names to Linnaeus. That 



