Dr. Smith 1 j Obfervatbns on the Brit if j Species of Browns. 277 



tions upon the fubje& already. It is in many inftances eafier to 

 detect truth itfelf, than to trace the caufes of error. 



Dr. Merrett, in his Pinax, muft be confidered as the father of our 

 indigenous botany, notwithstanding the errors of that work are 

 fuch that Ray has called it " Dr. Merrett's bungling P/'nax." It 

 may be queftioned, however, whether any of us, whoprefume upon 

 a higher degree of eftimation as Naturalifts, if landed on an unex- 

 plored country, with only luch helps as he had, would fall into 

 fewer mrftakes, or be guilty of fewer omiilions. However this may 

 be, the work of Merrett was fo completely fuperfeded by the labours 

 of the immortal Ray, that we need in no inftance recur to it as au- 

 thority. The Synopjis of Ray, traced through its various editions, 

 having been written from real observation, and from abfolute ori- 

 ginal fcrutiny of almoff. every Britifh plant, is the foundation of our 

 prefent knowledge of the fubject. He examined every plant re- 

 corded in his work, and even gathered moil of them himfelf. He 

 inveftigated their fynonyms with confummate accuracy ,• and if the 

 clearnefs and precifion of other authors had equalled his, he would 

 fcarcely have committed an error. It is difficult to find him in a 

 miftake or mifconception refpecling Nature herfelf, though he fome* 

 times mifapprehends the bad figures or lame defciiptions he was 

 obliged, to confult. 



• In tracing the botanical hiftory of Britiih plants, I therefore con- 

 fider Ray as the fountain-head- of authority, but it is only Ray him- 

 felf. Dillenius,.the highly refpectable editor of the laft edition of 

 the Synopfis 9 has, with commendable modefty and diffidence, diftin- 

 jruifhed from the original work all his own additions, being well aware 

 of the danger of miftakes. If he had not done fo, the preceding 

 edition of the work in queftion, publifhed in 1696, would have 

 been our only refource } for it cannot be concealed that Dilleniua 



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