1895,] Vegetable Physiology. 1009 
large and well dried, and the labels are full and of neat form and size. 
Occasionally, a specimen is somewhat deficient in roots, a fault which 
may easily be avoided in subsequent issues.—CHARLEs E. Brssry. 
VEGETABLE PHYSIOLOGY. 
Saccardo’s Color Scale.—The learned author of the Sylloge 
Fungorum has issued a second improved edition of his color scale 
(Chromotaxia seu nomenclator colorum polyglottus additis speciminibus 
coloratis ad usum Botanicorum et Zoologorum. Editio altera. Patavii. 
Typis Seminarii, 1894) which is very useful and ought to be in the 
hands of every botanist. The pamphlet contains 22 pages of Latin 
text and two well executed tables of 25 colors each. The text gives in 
regular order, from left to right: (1) The Latin name of the type 
color. (2) Latin synonyms. (3) Latin names of colors approaching 
the typical color. (4) Italian names. (5) French names. (6) En- 
glish names. (7) German names. (8) Explanatory remarks. To il- 
lustrate, we have under the first entry : “ Albus. Candidus, niveus, 
ermineus, virgineus, calceus, gypseus, Cretaceous, cerussatus, olorinus. 
Albatus, albicans, albidus, albidulus, albineus, albinus, albulus, 
eburneus; pallidus, pallens, pallidulus; lacteus, lacticolor, galactites, 
galochrous; argenteus, argyraceous; candicans, canescens. Bianco, 
eburneo, pallido, latteo, argenteo, canescente. Blanc, blane d’ivoire, 
pile, blanc de lait, argentin. White, ivory-white, pallid, milk-white, 
silver-colored. Weiss, elfenbeinweiss, blass, milchweiss, silberfarben. 
Typical examples: Lime, gypsum, snow, white lead, ermine. Pallidus 
is an impure white. Argenteus, argyreus (from argyros, silver) is a 
metallic, shining white. Lacteus is the color of fresh cow’s milk. Gal- 
actites, galochrous are from gala, milk. Candicans, canescens is pure 
or impure white resulting from a tomentum such as on the under side 
of the leaf of Populus alba or Alnus incana. Olorinus (from Cygnus 
olor) is a pure shining white (example Clitocybe olorina).” An ex- 
amination of the color scale cannot fail to deepen the impression that 
it is futile to attempt to use color terms in natural history without re- 
ferring them to some particular scale or standard. On first thought, 
nothing seems less likely to be misunderstood than such terms as flesh- 
1 This department is edited by Erwin F. Smith, Department of Agriculture, 
Washington, D. C. < 
69 
