228 INTRIBUTIONS PBOM I 111. NATIONAL BERBARIUM. 



major it} of cases, the lew changes made being od account of an 

 earlier known valid name <>r homonym. 



In synonj m\ , also, both as bo genera and species, a st ii«i ly exhaust- 

 ive li-t has not line been attempted. There are instances where 

 the h<»rile ol synonyms would be so great as i<> become most mis- 

 leading unless accompanied bj extensive explanations. Thus, this 

 same genus Coscinodiscus is wholly or partly synonymous with Sym- 

 bolophora Ehrenb., Endyctia Ehrenb., Od on todiscus Ehrenb., Hetero- 

 stephania Ehrenb., Cestodiscus Grev., Cosmiodiscufi Grev., Stoschia 

 Jan.. Janischia Grun., Micropodiscus (linn.. Willemoesia Castr., Eth- 

 modiscus Castr., etc. To enter into a discussion of the intersecting 

 boundaries of all these untenable genera and discuss the reasons for 

 their abandonment would he quite foreign t<> the purpose of this 

 report. With species the synonyms are even more abundant. Thus, 

 for example, Actinocyclus ehrenbergii Kails has somewhat over 120 

 synonyms. Manifestly to give in hill this and similar lists in a 

 work of this kind would he to obscure rather than to aid the pur- 

 here in hand, namely, a report of the Diatomaceae found by 

 the steamer Albatross. Therefore, as has been stated, a strictly 

 exhaustive list of synonyms has not always been attempted. In a 

 few instances where the number is abnormally large the writer has 

 omitted those which are so trivial and obscure as to give no promise 

 of I). Lng useful in the future study of these plants. 



TIh generic and specific names assigned are given according to the 

 it 1 1 ^ now generally prevailing in botanical nomenclature. This has 

 — iiatetl in some instances the substitution of obscure and inap- 

 propriate nanus for those universally known and recorded among 

 living diatomists. The writer feels it to be a grave misfortune, for 

 which some remedy should he found, that no alternative i- provided 

 in these cases. At this time, when the much-needed systematizing 

 of our nomenclature is being attempted and drastic measures are being 

 taken to that c\\(\, it should he possible by the concurrence of liv- 

 ing diatomists 'the number of whom is not great) to agree to the 

 preservation of a few classical names, and especially the nam* 

 certain genera by making them exempt from these changes, This 

 would sav< the most valuable works of the science from being unin- 

 telligible to future students, and would in no wise interfere with the 



application of strict rules to new cases in the future. The genera 



and species needing tin- exception are SO few as to make this sug 



t ion wholly practicable, and the writer sincerely trusts that some 



scheme will he devised to retain certain names universally known to 



