<Sra^ ibcrbarium 
Ibarvarb lHntversit\> 
. L. ROBINSON, Curato 
Asa Gray Prof. Syst. 
p. L. FERNALD, 
. F. MACBRIDE, Assistar 
. ST. JOHN, Assistant 
iIARV A. DAY, Librarian 
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, U. S. A. 
Jana 16, 1919. 
Prof* A. S. Hitchcock, 
Bureau of Piant Industry, 
Department of Agriculture, 
Washington, D.C. 
Dear Prof, Hitchcock: 
Your letter referring to Navicularia has been referred to 
me by Dr. Robinson for reply. 
There certainly is a confusion in the references. The ori- 
f?xnal Bertolini opusc. Sci. Bclo?n. 3: 408 (1819) boar-s no T-efcr-- - 
ence to the word Navicularia so far as I can discover. The descrip- 
tion of Panicum loliaceum, on which Navicularia hirta was named, does 
occur on this page. There are no plates accompanying the paper re¬ 
ferring to this species and nowhere in it do I find any reference to 
the name Navicularia. It would seem as if Navicularia really started 
with Raddi and later authors have confused the authority with Berto- 
lini because the species was founded on Panicum loliaceum Bertolini. 
A mistake once started in this way is apt to be copied for years 
without anyone’s trying to verify or correct it. Nees in FI. Bras. 
gives the same citations as he does in his Agros, accrediting N. hirta 
to Bertolini, but as he gives the same references I must think that 
he was mistaken and that his mistake has been carried along by others. 
I am sorry that it cannot be more clearly demonstrated. 
Very truly, 
"VYVo-xAj V , 
