396 A. Gray— Gender of Names of Varieties. 
) 
rocks of different localities indicates that the present curve rep- 
resents approximately the trend of the Continental D.vide at 
the close of the last period of disturbance, for we find rocks 
belonging to the more recent overflows dipping from the Contl- 
nental Divide into the Rio Grande valley, so that the rocks 
occurring between Del Norte and Wagon Wheel-Gap are con- 
temperaneous with those found near the divide, north, south 
and west. Asa result, nearly four-fifths of the region circum- 
scribed by the contour of 8,000 feet is thrown west of the 
direction. 
AMONG other subordinate questions in Natural-history No- 
menclature, it has been asked whether names of varieties, like 
those of species, should conform in gender to the genus, or a 
whether they may not as well conform to the word varvelas, — 
and so always be feminine. 
Linnzeus introduced the current practice of nam her te a 
ut 
ties by the letters of the Greek alphabet, a, f, 7, ete 
some varieties, evidently to the more important, he gave names — 
These names, when adjectives, were always (so far as we know) ne 
made to agree in gender with the generic name: eX. gT-— 
Viburnum Opulus, B rosewm. 
Asparagus officinalis, a maritimus, 2 altilis 
Mesembryanthemum ringers, a canium, 8 felinum. ha a 
In our days named varieties play a more and more mei : 
portant part; and all botanists, as a rule, appear to have 0° 
lowed the Linnean model, with now and then a divergence 
Art. XLVI.—Gender of Names of Varieties; by ASA GRAY. 
ES — 
a 
