1889] Botany. 163 
called. If two are to be given, place the name of the author 
of the specific name in a parenthesis, and that of the author 
of the combination following-, and outside. If, in this case, it 
seem strange to cite a botanist as an authority for a name he 
did not know, still it isin many cases the best way. For exam- 
ple, in the case of Lactarius plumbeus Fr. ; if this is written L. 
plumbeus (Bull.) Fr., one knows that it is Agaricus plumbeus 
Bull, not A. plumbeus Schaeff, nor Mycena plumb'ea Fr. 
Again, Uropyxis petalostemonis De Ton. scarcely seems 
familiar. But any one can recognize in U. petalostemonis 
(Farl.) D. Ton., Puccinia petalostemonis Farlow. It may 
also be objected to this method, that in many cases it merely 
perpetuates worn out synonymy. But it is the only one which 
causes no confusion and indicates exactly the species meant. 
—Roscoe Pound. 
A Question Regarding the Application of the Law 
OF Priority.— The strict application of the law of priority 
to botanical nomenclature, raises several interesting ques- 
tions. One of them is whether a specific name of the same 
etymology and meaning with its generic name should be 
retained. There seems no good reason why it should not, as 
long as they are not identical. Indeed botanists are doing 
this in the names of many Phanerogams, e. g. P^chinocystis 
echinata (Muhl) and Larix laricina (D. R.). The author of 
these combinations gives Specularia speculum D. C, as a 
precedent, and Arctostaphylos uva ursi (L) is almost 
another. Among the Fungi there is Fomes fomentarius. 
There are two Fungi which offer excellent opportunities for 
doing the same, namely ; Ramularia didyma Ung. and Cylin- 
dnum septatum Bon. Saccardo gives these as Didymaria 
ungeri corda and Septocylindrium bonordenii Sacc. But 
strictly according to the law of priority they should be Didy- 
maria didyma (Ung.) and Septocylind'rium' septatum (Bon.) 
However strange these combinations appear, it would seem 
better as the great majority of specific names are arbitrary 
and without particular application, to apply the law of priority 
uniformly, than to make an exception for'so slight a cause.— 
Specific Name 
to C. missourie 
reproaches him 
Saccardo change 
