Editors’ Table. 433 
ures three varieties; in 1683 Worlidge’ names it among culinary 
herbs in England, but says it is more valued for medicine; in 
1778 Mawe? describes six varieties, and says generally cultivated 
in the kitchen garden, and in 1806* McMahon includes it in hi 
list of kitchen aromatics for American gardens. It is mentioned 
among European garden plants by Albertus Magnus‘ in the thir- 
teenth century, and in nearly all the later botanies, Ray* enumer- 
ating it as also an ornamental plant, in nine varieties. As an 
ornamental plant is it yet deserving of notice, but its present use 
in American gardens must be very limited. It is mentioned by 
Paulus Ægnita,' in the seventh century, as a medicinal plant. 
Hyssop is called in France hyssope; in Germany, Jsop ;’in Flan- 
ders and Holland, hijsoop; in Denmark, isop; in Italy, issopo; in 
Spain, hisopo; in Arabic, zoofoe yeubus, ushnaz-daoud.$ 
EDITORS’ TABLE. 
EDITORS: E. D. COPE AND J. S. KINGSLEY. 
There can be no “ privileged classes” among scientific workers. 
As the exact truth is the object of their labors, personal authority 
does not exist for them except in so far as the reputation of a man 
for accuracy will sustain his assertions, where the evidence cannot 
be obtained from the subject-matter itself. It is dangerous for a 
man holding a superior place in a scientific laboratory or museum 
to require subscription to his views on the part of his subordinates 
apart from their conviction of their truth, since if there be error, it 
is thus all the more widely advertised, and the hostile criticism is 
the more general. It is dangerous for subordinates to adopt views 
on the strength of authority alone, unless means of verification are 
_ Syst. Hort., by J. W, Gent, 1683, 220. 
Mawe. Gard., 1778. 
