Mar. 81, 1908. The Queensland Naturalist. 
9 
that of the popular Fuclisia. When writing in 1542, i.e., 
nearly two centuries prior to the time to which we are now 
referring — Fuchsius then in many cases employed generic 
and specific terms for plants after the manner of Linnaeus, 
and the latter adopted tlie designations he had thus early 
bestowed. It is this German botanist who is really sponsor 
for Amaranthus purpureus, Atriplex hortensis, Helleborus 
niger, Lilius croceus, Cannabis sativa, Nymphsea lutea, 
Trifolium pratense, and many other scientific plant-names. 
Similiarly (2) the French Botanist, Cornuti, writing on the 
flora of the environs of Paris in 1635, nearly a century later, 
used names — according to this nomenclature also — that 
closely approached in conciseness these adopted by Linnaeus 
himself. To Cornuti, we owe thus Campanula rotundifolia, 
Mentlia aquatica, Pinus sylvestris, Rosa canina, and other 
plant designations with which we have since become 
familiar. 
None of Linnaeus’ predecessors had however pre- 
viously propounded as an axiom : that it was possible by 
following such a system as that laid down by him, to 
designate every different animal or plant in accordance 
with a single principle of procedure. The practices of 
the naturalists of two centuries conforming to Linnaeus’ 
precept and example have shown that such possibility exists. 
But Linnaeus not only did this, but lie brought together 
in two works the Species Plantaruma and the System Natures 
approaching perfection witli the successive editions through 
which these passed, the recorded knowledge of all the 
workers of zoology, botany, and mineralogy, since the 
world began, designating each animal or plant mentioned 
therein by a binominal name, original or derived, and in 
accordance with his system. 
The reputation that he has gained for this work may 
be concluded from the following facts ; — Owang to the vast 
number of animals and plants already known, or been 
made known — the animals alone, according to a statement 
made in 1905 by the Veterinary Zoologist of U.S.A., Dr 
C. W. Stiles embrace quite 120,000 named genera, a number 
that is increased to the extent of quite 1,150 per annum, 
it has — under these circumstances then — been found 
necessary to propound under competent authority stringent 
rules, prescribing the ir.ethod of bestowing names. Thus 
the International Zoologists’ Conference, held at Berne, 
in 1904, formulated an “ International Code for Zoological 
Literature,” as did the Vienna Botanical Congress for 
1905 “ International Rules of Botanical Nomenclature. ” 
Now both of these codes, as do previous ones of the same 
description, recognise the obligations to follow the Linnean 
system, to consider certain specific nam.es of animals and 
of plants as finding their origin in those names mentioned 
