23 
Dr. SMITH’ Introduétory Difcourfe. 35 
author was no more. There having been but 200 copies printed, it 
is now very rare, and is one of thofe works v gus are oftener 
talked of than read. 
I {hall only at prefent mention the names of two more writers, 
who chiefly difünguifhed themfelves in vegetable phyfiology, Du 
Hamel and Hales. One of them was the ornament of France, and 
the other of our own country, about the period of which I have 
been fpeaking, and both have rendered great fervices to philofo- 
phical botany. 
In the mean while Linnzus was daily advancing in fcience and 
reputation. His Fauna Suecica appeared in 1746, and his Materia 
Medica in 1749 ; the former is a model of defcriptive zoology, asthe 
latter of methodical arrangement and concifenels. They were both 
orwards- very much improved and enlarged, but the Materia 
Medica was never r Su by Linnzus; allthe new editions of 
it are by Profeffor Schreber, and the alterations are his own. 
In 1751 appeared the Philofophia Botanica, and two years after- 
wards the firft edition of the Species Plantarum ; two works which it 
were equally vain and fuperfluous to attempt to praife as they 
deferve. I fhall only remark that the introduction of trivial NAMES, 
which firft took place in the Species Plantarum, was one of the moft 
happy inventions of Linnæus, and I am perfuaded it has con- 
tributed more than any thing elfe to make his works of general 
ufe. Even thofe botanifts who from envy would never openly 
adopt them, have given the moft convincing proofs of the im- 
portance of which they thought them, in labouring to deprive 
— Linnæus of the honour of their invention; and I could mention 
inftances of people, who have written againft thefe trivial names, 
. being obliged to recur to them daily in fpeaking and sinop of 
plants. 
The fame of Linnæus was now fo widely diffufed that, as is 
F 2 excellent 
