192 
Notes on Recent Literature. 
have also adopted Jordan’s point of view in the treatment of species. 
Bentham’s condemnations fall unheeded on the ears of many of the 
field botanists of the present time. 
There can he no doubt as to the author’s thorough competence 
to discharge the task he set himself; and it may indeed be said that 
in the new “ Hayward ” we have an epitome of Mr. Druce’s life-work. 
Until the book has been put to actual service in the field, it is, of 
course, impossible to say definitely whether or not the characters 
given for separating the closely allied species and varieties will prove 
adequate ; but no serious doubts need be entertained that Mr. 
Druce has performed his work satisfactorily. 
It is to be hoped that botanists who follow Mr. Druce in 
“ splitting ” species to such a great extent as is done in this book 
will not be satisfied with merely giving a name to the segregate 
forms. Few experiments have been made in this country on the 
permanence or otherwise of the characters of the indigenous 
“ elementary species ” when grown under definite conditions; and 
it is due to Mr. Druce to state that such work, owing to difficulties 
of determination of the critical forms, was nearly impossible before 
this edition of Hayward’s pocket flora appeared. It is now possible 
for such work to be undertaken by any careful observer; and it is 
to be hoped that some British botanists will at once emulate the 
work of Bonnier and others in France. 
We are glad to see that Mr. Druce follows the Vienna rules of 
nomenclature, though he was unable to avoid a veiled outburst 
against the list of generic “ nomina conservanda ” hastily adopted 
by the last International Congress. It is not unlikely that this list 
will be materially lengthened at the forthcoming Congress at 
Brussels; and doubtless we shall then hear more from Mr. Druce 
against the practice of conserving names in defiance of the principle 
of priority. 
By following the rule retaining the earliest specific name 
(adopted by the Vienna Congress), many nomenclatorial changes 
are introduced ; but the inconvenience caused by this rule (which 
appears to be now universally accepted) is minimized by the frequent 
addition of useful synonyms in the text. 
Generally, it may be said that Hayward’s Botanists’ Pocket- 
Book has entered upon a new career of usefulness; and Mr. Druce 
is to be congratulated on his successful attempt to put new wine 
into an old bottle. C.E.M. 
R. Madley, Steam Printer, 151 , Whitfield Street, London, W, 
