Page:Journal of botany, British and foreign, Volume 9 (1871).djvu/305

 PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 281

niul extirpation the plant had ceased to possess a chiini to a place in the

British Flora. Mr. Gwyn JettVeys remarked on tlie injury to science

from the rapacity of collectors. Professor Balfour thought this was

overrated. Plants were not easily extirpated by botanists. The Clova

rarities showed no signs of diminution. Professor Balfour exhibited

JuHcns effmns with both spirally-twisted and spirally-curled leaves. It had been sent from Belfast by Mr. David Bishop, and propagated (by

division) in Edinburgh Botanic Garden. Professor Thisellon Dyer

mentioned the effect of spiral twisting, in Galium and Dlpsacns, in con- verting a verticillate into a spiral arrangement of leaves. Tliis must be distingnish'xl from the conversion of a verticil into a spiral by mere elongation of the internodes, in which case there is no twisting of

the axis. W. A. Lewis, " A Proposal for a Modification of the strict

Law of Priority in Zoological Nomenclature in certain cases." This paper gave rise to a discussion on the whole subject of priority. There was a strong feeling amongst the botanists and entomologists present to condemn bibliographical resurrectionists of obsoh-te names. Pro- fessor Babington thought a name in use in foreign books should be adopted to the sacrifice of our own, if really possessed of a prior claim. He allowed, however, that there was a raking up which was very objec- tionable. There was, it was true, an undoubted right to upset a generally received name by one found in an obscure memoir or inaugural disserta- tion, but it was a right which should remain in abeyance. It was justi- fiable to correct a name which turned out to be wrongly applied ; this was a proper recognition of the penetration and correctness of an overlooked writer. As a mere result of obscure bibliography, the resurrection of

obsolete names was a system which should be put a stop to. Professor

'J'hiselton Dyer advocated common-sense as a useful principle in the matter. It would be absurd to upset the name of Polygonnm, Persi- cnria because applied to another species in the Linntean Herbarium. Too much attention shoidd not be paid to the practice of French writers ; they were notoriously perverse in such matters, witness their maintaining the sole breach of uniformity in the nomenclature of the chemical elements, in calling nitrogen azote, in opposition to the practice of every other

country. Canon Tristram thought common-sense a dubious principle.

Other speakers addressed the section from the zoological stand-point.

Mr. J. Sadler, "On the Species of Grimuiia (including SchistiJiiiiii)

as represented in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh." The principal dis- tinction separating Schlsti/Hicm from Griininiu rests on the arbitrary character of the adhesion or partial adhesion of the columella to the lid, and should be neglected. In Greville's 'Flora Edinensis ' (1834-), six species are described as occurring within ten miles of Edinburgh. In Balfour and Sadler's 'Flora ot Edinburgh' (I8(i3), ten species are eiuunerated ; in the second edition (1871) this is increased to fifteen. Ten of these occur upon Arthur's Seat. AVith the exception of G.lrlcho- phylla they are found to prefer the amygdaloidal trap, and very rarely occur on the basalt in a very stunted and starved condition. At one,part of the hill, where the upj)cr drive cuts the rocks to the back of the basaltic columns of Samson's Ribs, there is an area of very limited extent where the whole ten species can be collected in a few minutes. The paper concluded with notes on the arrangement and distribution of the Edinburgh species. G. coitferta, Funk, is abundant ou'sArthur's Seat in

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