158 Scientific Intelligence. 
nearly indifferent ; in others by no means so. ho would write 
Pecki or Becki in place of Peckii or Beckii ? Fortunately the 
erally followed in writing. So we need not follow the custom 
which in England certain zoologists have forced upon one botani- 
cal work, and other zoologists are adopting in this country, which 
would require us to write pecki. It is strange that any one could 
wish to have a mechanical and senseless uniformity override all 
other considerations. 
By one rule, the name of an author when appended to that of 
a species must always be printed in a different type from that of 
the species. As the omission of this causes no confusion in writ- 
ing, it might seldom cause any in print. But ordinarily the refer- 
ence, of which this name is the abbreviation, is in different type 
ee the name which precedes. It is hardly a matter to prescribe 
by law. 
That the names of families should always end in id@ may be 
practicable in zoology, but hardly so the rule against homonyms, 
viz: that the name of a genus which has been reduced to a syno- 
nym shall never again be used as such in the same kingdom, nor 
a specific name so reduced be ever used again in the genus. It is 
laid down, also, that no 
carded on account of its impropriety. That surely depends on 
ogy. e have so fully and repeatedly expressed our opinion on 
the matter in this Journal that we need not farther refer to it here. 
last degree of analysis gives some excuse for the practice, and the 
ractice seems likely to facilitate the degradation. 
Naturally we have indicated only points in which the proposed 
rules do not harmonize with the received botanical code. A. @- 
