SELBORNIANA. 
1 73 
at Smyrna, 1703-15. Brought Dillenius to England. Founded Chair of Bot. 
at Oxford, and bequeathed library, herbarium of 12,000 species, and MS. 
‘ Pinax ’ to University. Plants in Hb. Sloane. Pult. ii. 141 ; Rees; Jacks. 
606; Rich. Corr. 293; Gorham, 11 ; Journ. Bot. 1S74, 129; Semple, 4S ; 
Gent. Mag. lxvi. ; Nich. Ulustr. i. 339, &c., Druce, FI. Oxf. 3S0. Sherardia 
L.” 
It is worth while to notice the value of giving the names of the genera 
dedicated to the various writers, as in the last line of the above extract. We 
have often had occasion to point out the inaccuracy and inconsistency with which 
botanical writers deal with the derivations of genera and species ; this is as 
remarkable in commemorative names as in those which are derived from the 
old Greek and Latin names. For example, Linnmus the founder of the genus 
Sherardia , distinctly says ( Critica Botanica, p. 77), that it is called after 
“ Sherard, Consul Smyrna:. ,” but in spite of this, Hooker and Arnott, who 
are responsible for more mistakes in derivation than any British Botanists, 
transfer the honour to Sherard’s brother James, and are followed in their 
error by Sir J. D. Hooker, in The Student's Flora. Irvine, who often gives 
curious information as to etymology, gives the correct name in his Illustrated 
Hand Book , and so does Alcock in his Botanical Names for English Readers, 
the most trustworthy authority in such matters. It will be a comfort to have 
uncertainty removed in this, and scores of similar instances by the research of 
such accurate writers as Messrs. Britten and Boulger. 
It only remains to say that these gentlemen certainly expect to make no 
financial profit from the fruits of their great labour as the book is to be offered 
at the remarkably low subscription price of 3s. 9d., although greatly enlarged 
from the form in which it appeared in the Journal of Botany, containing over 2,000 
notices. We must also warn the large number of our readers who will find it 
a very cheap and useful addition to their libraries, that they must make early 
application, as the number of copies to be printed is limited to 500, which are 
sure to be very rapidly exhausted, if there is any proper appreciation of good 
and conscientious work done by British botanists. 
SELBORNIANA. 
A much discitssecl Quotation.— In the Zoologist for 1S84, page 117, 
the reason is given why the kingfisher was called the “ sea blue bird of March ” by 
the Poet Laureate, observation shewing it not to be more common then than at other 
times of the year : the phrase is traced to Aleman, the Spartan lyric poet, who 
calls the halcyon the “sea purple bird of spring,” a description of it not much 
altered by Tennyson. If S. S. (Nature Notes, Vol. i. p. 60) is interested in 
the constructions which have been put on the poet’s meaning in these lines, I 
may take this opportunity of mentioning that they were discussed in the Field, of 
March 12th, 1864, et seq : to which he may possibly like to refer. 
Keswick Hall, Norwich. J. H. Gurney. 
[In addition to the references given by our correspondent we may mention an 
authoritative note by Mr. B. B. Woodward in Science Gossip, for February, 1877. 
A very interesting discussion in the Academy, R ol. xxv. (1S84), was begun by 
the eminent scholar, Dr. Whitley Stokes, who was the first to suggest that the 
Laureate had taken the phrase from Aleman ; it was continued by the Rev. W. 
Houghton, who inclined to the swallow, the Rev. H. T. Wharton, who agreed 
with Dr. Stokes, Mr. J. M. Gillington, who advocated the claims of the wheatear, 
and Dr. E. Spencer, who supported those of the blue titmouse. The contro- 
versy concluded by a communication from Mr. Anthony Belt, the Selborne 
Society’s Honorary Secretary at Ealing. In Nature Notes, Vol. i., p. 93, we 
had the pleasure of publishing a statement which came direct from our President 
himself, to the effect that the “sea-blue bird” was certainly the kingfisher, and 
that he derived the phrase from his own remembrance of having seen the king- 
fishers in the Lincolnshire rivers, appearing for the first time in the month of 
March. We have since had an opportunity of obtaining from Lord Tennyson, 
through Mr. James Britten, a repetition of this statement, with the interesting 
