Dr. Smith'/ Ohfervatlons on the Britifh Species of Bromus. 279 



that they have in general adopted the fynonyms of Linnscus and 

 of Ray from the %74ra Anglica. The work of Mr. Hudfon has alfo 

 been the bafis of all publications befides Mr. Lightfoot's, intended 

 to make the Botany of Great Britain acceflible to thofe who could 

 not read the Latin tongue, as Dr. Withering's Botannical Arranve- 

 ment, and the vegetable part of Dr. Berkenhout's Outl'mes. 



The authors juft enumerated have followed the plan of Mr. 

 Hudfon himfelf, in applying the names, and even defcriptions, in 

 foreign authors, to the plants of Ray ; an unexceptionable method 

 if thofe authors were always correct, if we were certain they all 

 fpoke of the fame plants under the fame names, or quoted other 

 writers without any mifapprehenfion. This however being by no 

 means the cafe, a great mafs of error has been from time to time 

 accumulating, which it requires more care and patience to remove 

 than would be necefTary to work out the whole fubject afrefh. 

 Mr. Hudfon commonly applies a Linnsean name to a plant, becaufe 

 Linnaeus has quoted Ray for it, or becaufe Haller, or Scopoli 

 perhaps, has referred to Ray and Linnaeus, while all three may 

 chance to have intended a different fpecies. He even copies 

 fynonyms of other authors from any of the above-mentioned, with- 

 out looking at the books quoted ; as may in many in fiances be 

 proved by the errors of the prefs, and awkwardneiTes of citation, 

 which he has retained. He is however entitled to great praife for 

 new-modelling the fpecific characters, when he found fuch as 

 Linnsens had given did not well fuit our plants, and on this ground 

 he mav rank as an original author. His defcriptions alfo, which 

 are original, are chara&eriftic and valuable. Dr. Withering and 

 Mr. Relhan, in copying defcriptions from other writers, have always 

 faithfully cited the fource from which every article was derived ; 

 fo that when thofe defcriptions do not well accord, even with each 



7 other ' 



