68 LAWS OF NOMENCLATUEE. 



ferent ways, which had better be avoided. There are also 

 some scarce combinations of letters which wouldJ render an 

 abbreviation incommodious and almost null, were 4ihe rule 

 to be followed strictly. The name of Decaisne, for instance, 

 would not be sufficiently designated by Dec; while it is 

 very clearly so if you write Decsne, especially if in the 

 series of synonyms care is taken not to put a stop after the 

 final e. In effect, a very frequent cause of obscurity in 

 books is the typographical fault of puttitig a stop after the 

 final letter of a name, when puttiag one is not rendered 

 obligatory by the termination of a phrase, or by the sup- 

 pression of letters. Compositors in printing-offices are not 

 aware that the names of Ee, Blume, Don, Ker, Blytt and 

 others are not abridged; that in Michx the x is the final 

 letter ; consequently, that those names ought not to be fol- 

 lowed by a stop implying an abbreviation. Some botanists 

 abridge when it is unnecessary. Blume does not take up 

 more place ia a text than Blum.; and very little time is 

 gained by skipping a letter or two in names of a siagle 

 syllable. 



Precise rules have sometimes been proposed for abbrevia- 

 tions, which would be identical were they to be made in the 

 ordinary form ; for instance, in the case of two botanists of 

 the same family, or bearing the same name, or names begin- 

 ning by the same letters ; but there can be no harm in letting 

 each author do what he pleases in each particular case. That 

 Geertner son, or filius, should be abridged by Gsertn. f., and 

 Jussieu son, by Adr. Juss., is tolerably indifferent, both ab- 

 breviations beiag clear enough. If, to distinguish Michaus 

 from Micheli, you put Michx, or better, Mich''; if, to avoid 

 the hesitation that might result from the many names that 

 begin by Eeich, you abridge Eeichenbach by Eeichb. ; if, to 

 prevent Marschall von Bieberstein from being confounded 

 with other Marschalls, it be indicated by M. Bieb. or even 

 by Bieb., — something is gained in the way of clearness, and 

 the value of the principal rule is in no way lessened. 



54. According to Liunseus, the name of a genus that has 

 been divided must remain with the most common species. 



