Department of Botany 



pmutrsitii of Chicago 



\ 



The Botanical Gazette 



June 13, 1901. 



Deal* Mr. Davenport:- , ^ 



I have you rs of June 10 in reference to Mr. Maxon * s List 

 of ferns. Quite a fern b-eeze hp.s been stirred up in the B0TAITI0AL 

 GAZETTE by Mr. M. L. Pernald 1 s recent criticism. Mr. Pollard has replied 

 and so has Mr. Underwood. Mr. V/. H, Glute has also sent an open letter 

 for pul lication ; which inclines to Pernald' s side of the quest ion; and 

 Pernald is to close the whole discussion with an open letter in the July 

 or August GAZETTE. It seems to me that we have given about all the 

 space to this particular subject that we can afford. If your open letter 

 were the only one it would; be £. different matter. Perhaps, however, 

 you would like to go on record in this discussion, and if so you and 

 Mr. Pernald might well close it. In that event I would ask you to state 

 as briefly as possible your protes^igainst the principles exemplified 

 by Mr. Maxon's list. As to the validity of species, ti is is quite 

 another matter, and of course the opinions of botanists will differ and 

 must always differ in this particular. Much of your criticism consists 

 in expressing this difference of opinion ; which I think may be covered 

 by the statement of a princ ipljt as to your view of species, which 

 evidently differs from the opinion of botanists of the Unde -wood ^ school, 

 hoping that you will in this way join with Mr. Fernald in closing up 

 the discussion, arid asking that you will limit it to 300 400 words , 



I remain, 



Yours sincerely, 



Mr. G- . E. Davenport, 



Mod ford , Mass . 



