344 



The Plant World. 



NOTES AND COMMENT 



Contribution No. XXXVII from the Gray Herbarium, an 

 abstract of which appears in this number of the Plant World, 

 suggests some reflections which may be opportune at the present 

 time. The character and make-up of this paper, fairly repre- 

 sentative of the series, to which it belongs may be taken as also 

 representative of a body of botanical work of peimanent value 

 which under the general designation of "contributions" has 

 been published by American botanists. Under the same title, 

 however, have not infiequently appeared various papers of all 

 sorts, lists of plants, studies of anatomical details, photographs 

 and descriptions of plant habitats, and other matters which by 

 all means ought to be printed and thus made accessible to those 

 likely to be interested, but which after all hardly deserve to be 

 dignified by the title "Contribution No. — from the University 



of " Dr. Asa Gray used to modestly contribute 



"notulae exiguae" to the journals, and there is no doubt that 

 these "notelets" have had quite as much value and been quite 

 as much respected as if he had bestowed upon them so ne pom- 

 pous title. The times of amateur production and over-haste in 

 some of our botanical centers (in which the writer regretfully 

 acknowledges his full share) may perhaps be winked at, but why 

 not now, by common consent, adopt a better practice, already 

 followed by some of the best institutions, and make it general. 

 One set of papers, the best worked out, representing extended 

 study or research, such for example as would be required in the 

 production of a doctor's thesis, might properly retain the name 

 and place of contributions, while observations on a collecting 

 trip, preliminary reports of laboratory experiments, and the 

 many things that fall into the same category might simply 

 appear with the name of the writer and that of the institution 

 from which it is sent. True, contributions, so-called, would not 

 multiply quite so fast, but meantime there would be great satis- 

 faction in knowing that whatever appears under this dignified 

 title represents the better and more permanent work of the 

 institutions concerned. 



