206 Questions of Nomenclature. 



been burned the fine striations could not have been so perfectly pre- 

 served It is Mr. Hank's intention to study these rocks microscopi- 

 cally and report to the society the results of his further researches. 



In view of the prominence given to the question of the discovery 

 of the microscope, and the celebration of the three hundreth anniver- 

 sary soon to take place in Antwerp, Mr. Ried}^ exhibited an old 

 book by Petro Barrello, published at The Hague in 1655, entitled 

 'A History of the Telescope and Microscope.' This old book is re- 

 markable as being the first published work treating of the discovery. 



William E. Loy, Recording Secretary. 



QUESTIONS OF NOMENCLATURE. 



(From Science, xyii. 67.) 



Professor C. S. Sargent, author of the 'Silva of North America/ 

 says, in the first volume of that work, ' I have adopted the method 

 which imposes upon a plant the oldest generic name applied to it by 

 Linnaeus in the first edition of the 'Genera Plantarum,' published in 

 1737, or by any subsequent author, and the oldest specific name 

 used by Linnaeus in the first edition of 'Species Plantarum,' pub- 

 lished in 1753, or by any subsequent author, without regard to the 

 fact that such a specific name may have been associated at first 

 with a generic name improperly employed.' 



To secure stability in nomenclature, it is obvious that the 

 method adopted by Professor Sargent is the one which should 

 universally be adopted by botanists. Other questions relating to 

 botanical nomenclature are not so well settled as might be desired, 

 and a few of these may be briefly stated, with the writer's present 

 views concerning them. 



The first in importance, perhaps, is the use of the names of forms 

 at first described as varieties of other species, and later raised to 

 specific rank, or vice versa. It would seem that the varietal name 

 as first used should be adopted for the specific name when raised 

 to specific rank, though many botanists have felt at liberty to 

 rechristen them at pleasure. A varietal or subspecific name would, 

 if this rule were followed, receive precedence over later names. Pro- 

 fessor E. L. Greene, in 'West American Oaks,' has adopted the name 

 Quercus Palmeri Engelm. in preference to Q. Dunnii Kell., although 

 first published as a species under the latter name, Q. Palmeri having 

 first been published as a subspecies by Dr. Engelmann, and later as a 

 species. One is led to infer by Professor Greene's remarks, that, had 

 Q. Palmeri been published as a variety instead of as a subspecies, he 



