232 
Reviews. 
ture that of the New York and Washington botanists. The 
nomenclatorial rules of the botanists of these eastern American 
cities differ from those laid down at the international congresses of 
Vienna (1905) and Brussels (1910). For one thing, priority is 
claimed by the former for genera as well as species, and this priority 
begins mechanically with the year 1753. There are thus no tto»iina 
conservata ; and we have (to mention only a few of the numerous 
differences in generic names) Filix displacing Cystopteris , Tissa 
replacing Spergularia , and Uva-ursi displacing Arctostaphylos. 
These generic names involve further upheavals in the names of 
species and varieties. Fortunately, there appears to be no likelihood 
whatever that systematists in other parts of the world will ever 
adopt this point of view ; and some day it may be realised that the 
tail should not wag the dog. Pteridium is cited as of Scopoli: but 
it does not seem to be realised that Pteridium Scopoli is the equiva¬ 
lent of, and is antedated by, Pteris Linn., and that Pteridium 
Scopoli is therefore a much bigger genus than Pteridium Kuhn. 
Duplicated names, such as Alnus alnus ( = A. glutinosa), Hepatica 
hepatica ( = H. triloba = A nemone liepatica), are used. The tendency 
to use small genera seems to the present writer to be carried too 
far, as, for example, in the separation of Batrachium from 
Ranunculus. However, when due allowances are made for matters 
on which there can obviously be legimate differences of opinion, it 
remains that the author has issued a book of very great merit. 
It would be interesting to cite at some length the author’s 
views on certain plants which are common to New York and the 
British Isles; but space forbids. It must suffice therefore to 
mention the case of Calluna vulgaris. This is treated “ as an 
escape.not recently collected.” It appears to be the 
prevailing American opinion that Calluna is not indigenous in 
North America, but has been introduced there from Europe. The 
opposite view is usually assumed by non-American botanists. 
C.E.M. 
