86 J. H. MAIDEN. 
Article 58. “The rules of botanical nomenclature can only be 
modified by competent persons at an International Congress 
convened for the express purpose.” 
Then as an Appendix we have several recommendations 
including :— 
cxxiv. The metric system only is used in botany for reckoning 
weights and measures. The foot, inch, line, pound, ounce etc., 
should be rigorously excluded from scientific language.” 
xeaxvit. Temperatures are expressed in degrees of the centigrade 
thermometer of Celsius.” 
Finally, these laws have been adopted by a duly 
constituted International Botanical Congress and they 
should be accepted. Australian botanists live under the 
freest political institutions in the world; if they desire to 
alter the laws, they proceed, by constitutional means, to 
bring their desires about. Let the same method be adopted 
in regard to any of the rules of which they disapprove, but, 
in the meantime I feel sure that Australian botanists will 
obey them and obey them loyally. 
These rules seem to bea crystallization of common-sense 
and moderation. No friend of our science can ever con- 
template, without regret, the botanical anarchy which has 
been gaining ground during the last two decades and 
which the pronouncements of the Vienna Congress will do 
much to stem. In this connection Dr. John Briquet, the 
Reporter-General, has laid botanists throughout the world 
under a great debt of obligation. 
It will take us some time to get used to these laws, and 
therefore mutual forbearance is required. But they are 
worthy of careful study and of every respect, and I 
submit them with courtesy and earnestness to all 
Australian and New Zealand botanists. | 
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