B. L, ROBINSON, 



Prof. Syst. Bo-t. and Curator 

 M, L. FERNALD, Assistant Professor 



MARY A. DAY, Librarian CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A. 



11 Feb. 1913. 



Dear Dr. Kennedy: 



C. phaenopyrarn is correct and the capital in the index is an 

 error, km ,glad to nave it called to attention, so that it can be cor- 

 rected later. It 'was fornjerly the case that most authors capitalized 

 all specific naiaes, which^like this^were substantive in foriE, bnt accord- 

 ino to the international rules of nomenclature this should be done only 

 then the substantive is a personal name or has been taken from a generic 

 name. 



The recommendation regarding the capitalization of specific na/ses is 

 wor ded as foil ows : — 

 **^Specific names begin with a small letter except those which are taken 

 from names of persons (substantives or adjectives) or those which are 

 taken from generic names (substantives or adjectives). 



Examples: Ficus indica, Ciroaea lutetiana, Brassica Napus, Lythruin 

 Hyssopif olia, Aster novi-bel,!5ii, tVialva Tournef ortiana, a'^hyteuina Halleri.'*' 



The specific name phaenopyrurn ?fas^in the case in question^f irst used 

 by Linnaeus filius. It was capital i.2;ed by hiim and evidentljy treated as 

 a substantive, since he did not attempt to make nt agree in gender with 

 the generic name he was using ( ;viegpilus) . So far as 'J can learn Phaeno- 

 pyrurn had not been previously employed as a generic name, so our present 

 r.ules ?f0uld not call for its ca'oitalization. 



